Best
by lovelovelove22
Summary: After finally leaving her abusive husband, Bella is taken in by her oldest friend, but has never realized how much she loves him. Based on songs by Taylor Swift, but not a song-fic.
1. Tell Me Why

**So I've got another new story for you guys.**

**This story is going to be based on a bunch of Taylor Swift songs, but it is not a song-fic. Repeat- THIS STORY IS NOT GOING TO BE A SONG-FIC. It is based on songs, but has an actual story line and plot and everything. So I would really appreciate if you would all give this story a chance!**

**Hopefully, you won't be disappointed.**

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The look in his eyes scared me and shook me to the core.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I saw him lift his hand up, and steeled myself for the impact. And when it came, it was worse than I had anticipated. I fell to the ground and looked up at my husband, tears clouding my vision and distorting everything. His face was angry and twisted with rage, and I tried to move away from him in fear.

For three years, I convinced myself that I loved him. And for three tears, I had let myself get kicked around and abused. But I was done. I was sick of giving him second chances and being disappointed when he just would turn around and hit me again. I was sick of crying, sick of being hurt, sick of being used. I no longer had a shred of love left for my husband, but I honestly had no idea how I could get away from him and the hurt he was inflicting on me.

He doesn't realize that I can be broken. Actually, he doesn't realize that I _am_ broken. I can't handle this anymore…I can't handle him anymore. I feel like I don't even know him anymore. He isn't the same man that I fell in love with. He's changed- he's become a monster.

Almost everything he does makes me hurt these days. His temper terrifies me and when he's not mad, he's judgmental and rude. Something about him makes me just want to run and hide…far away. And that's exactly what I need to do. I need to get away from him and try and give myself a normal life.

What in the world is he doing to me?

When we got married, he was everything that I needed. He was like my heartbeat, my oxygen…my life. But it took me a little while to figure out that he had quite the mean streak, and every time it emerged, I tried to run and hide. He had a nasty temper, and I know that he knows how badly he's hurting me. How can he just ignore it? How can he stomach seeing the bruises on my body? How can he touch me when I flinch every time he's around?

Is there even a reason for all of this? I'm sick of being so small and fragile and helpless. I'm sick of having my husband, the man who's supposed to love me for better or for worse, put down my dreams. Sick of letting him cut me down and break me. On some sick level, my suffering is making him feel complete and strong.

I'm expected to love a man who hits me? Who abuses me in more ways than one? No. I'm done. Done with him, done with living like this, and done with being hurt. I'm just…_done_.

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"You can't do this." He said calmly, shoving the papers back towards me. "I'm not going to sign those papers."

I bit my lip and picked up the divorce papers, shuffling them up and flipping through them. "Yes, you do. There's no way that you could possibly love me, after doing all of this. Please, just let me go. I'm not happy, you're not happy…and I just want out." I whispered, and then stepped back slightly, out of his reach. It was a reflex; when I did something that I knew he wasn't going to like, I stepped back and made sure that he couldn't touch me. I wasn't about to fight back, there was no way I could, but I could try and avoid confrontations.

He continued to stare at me, and then rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry, Bella. Please don't do this. I can change, I won't…I won't hurt you anymore." I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. I had heard this before, and he had never once come through. He noted my hesitation and sighed. "Look…why don't I give you a little space? We…we can go back to the good days, when we were dating and in love and-"

"Fine." I whispered. "But I'm moving out."

He laughed; a cruel and unflinching sound. "Yeah, and where are you going to go? You've got no one else, babe." I stared at him for a moment, realizing that what he said was true. My husband was all I had. He had cut me off from my friends, I had no family…I had no job, no money…nothing. He had done this, isolated me, on purpose. He was trapping me, and he had seemingly succeeded.

"I'll find somewhere, and I'll leave tomorrow." I said stiffly. I wasn't going to let this happen to me anymore. "Look, I know that you must love me, somehow. But I don't think I can stay with you anymore if you're going to keep doing this to me. You can't just push me down and then expect me to continue loving you."

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**I didn't tell the name of Bella's husband for a reason…figure it out for yourself! But it will be revealed in the next chapter, so no worries. This first chapter is a bit short, but please bear with me. **

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	2. White Horse

**Fast update! I'm going to update my story 'Chemicals' either tonight or tomorrow, too, just so you know. Like I said, these chapters are inspired by Taylor Swift songs. The last one was 'Tell Me Why' and this one is 'White Horse'. Please review and tell me what you thought, I would really appreciate it!**

**Oh, and a very happy Valentines Day to all of you. Unfortunately, my husband had to work in the St. Louis branch of his office today, so we had our date-day yesterday, and I'm all alone on Valentine's Day. But Paulie (Paul and Ollie!) will be here with me for a movie marathon, seeing as they also don't have plans for tonight.**

**Love you all!**

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"Bella, I'm sorry…just please don't leave." Jacob pleaded with me, and I sighed, looking into his eyes and closing my eyes briefly. His warn, angelic expression was making me doubt this. But I couldn't let his good acting keep me from escaping and having a good, safe life. For the past four years, I've waited and waited for Jacob to change. I honestly believed that he would improve and better himself and just…stop hurting me. I had held on for so long, too long, and the years had dragged on so long; changing me and aging me. I should have known, I should have _realized _what was happening. He wasn't ever going to change. I was just a stupid girl who had thought this whole thing was a fairytale.

Well, my fairytale had been shattered, and I have the bruises and scars to prove it.

I'm not some kind of princess. Jacob won't just come and sweep me off my feet and take me home and love me forever. If I go back, I know that it will happen again. I'm not the woman for Jacob, I'm not the one he really wants. In this godforsaken small town, I've been trapped for years.

Jacob says that he wants to change, that he wants to make things better. But I know better, and it's way too late for him to even try and save me.

I was fifteen years old when I had met Jacob and been totally swept away. I had gotten lost in his beautiful dark eyes, and I had been so naïve. From that moment on, I had never really had a chance. I had been young and foolish- not realizing how hard you had to fight for love. There had been so many dreams…dreams of eternal love and happiness and a big family and being together forever…but they were gone now, and they were never going to come true.

Jacob sighed heavily, looking down at my bags on the ground. He knelt down before me and captured my hands in his. I flinched and instinctively jerked away, but Jacob didn't relinquish his grip on me. "Come on, Bells. I'm so sorry…I love you, and I want to be with you. I'm sorry!" He was begging for me and saying that he wanted me, just like I had always wanted him too. But at this point, it was far too late.

"I'm sorry too, Jake. But I'm just sorry that I stuck around for so long." I whispered, pulling away from him and wiping tears from my eyes. "I've given you so many chances…and this is your last one. I'm going away, and I'll come back after a little while, but you're going to have to prove to me that things are actually going to change." I murmured. "But Jake, I really think that I'm not the girl you really want. This…this just isn't our happy ending." With that, I picked up my two bags and walked out the front door of our house and to my old, beat up truck. It was nearly as beat up as I was, actually. We matched pretty well. Jacob stood in the doorway of the house, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

As I tossed my bags in the back and got into the car, Jacob quickly jogged over to me and leaned in the truck window. "Wait, Bella, when are you coming back?" He asked, and I stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him because I knew it would make me cry.

"I don't know. As long as it takes for me to think things over, I guess. But, Jake,…if I find someone who is actually going to treat me well, I won't be back at all. I deserve to find someone, someday, who will love me the right way. And sadly…I don't know if that's you." I whispered, and then turned to face him. Jacob's face fell, and he reached out and gently touched the bruise on my cheek.

"I'm sorry." He whispered one last time, but I didn't reply. I waited for him to back away, and then I rolled the window up and backed out of the driveway. Jacob just stood there and watched me go, and I couldn't help but watch him in the rearview mirror as I drove away, knowing that I might never come back.

I know that in all reality, it's too late for Jacob to save me and make things right. Telling him that there's still a chance for us wasn't the right thing to do…but it's all I could come up with. I want time, and that's the only way he would give it to me.

There was one thing he had said to me that I knew that entirely true. I had nowhere to go, no one to take me in. Jacob was my only family, my only friend…I reached for my phone and scrolled through the contact list as I drove, trying to keep my eyes on the road as I quickly scanned the short list of names. It was sad how few contacts I had in this list. It showed just how much I had been cut off from the rest of the world. But there was one number, one name, that held a glimmer of hope and promise.

Edward Cullen. My best friend for such a long time…

But I hadn't seen him in four years, not since my wedding. He had gone off to Chicago and from what I knew, he was a big shot doctor there. But I knew that if I did call him, he would be there for me. Edward and I had been friends since we were toddlers, and after my mother had died when I was six, his mother had become my mother figure in life. And then when my father had died when I was seventeen, the Cullen's had invited me to stay with them. And I had, until college started and Edward and I went our separate ways. I had already been dating Jacob at that point, and Edward definitely hadn't been a big fan of him. How right he had been.

Edward would help me, I knew he would. So after four years of not speaking to him, I hit send and dialed his number, praying that he hadn't changed numbers or anything like that.

Then, the inconceivable happened. He actually answered.

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**Hope you're liking it! Anyway, the next chapter will be based on 'I'd Lie'.**

**Please review and tell me what you're thinking!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	3. I'd Lie

**Yes, I'm updating yet again because I don't have plans on Valentine's Day. My husband is going to pay for this! I **_**might**_** be able to update 'Chemicals' tonight, because I'm working on the chapter and I already have 700 words…it shouldn't take me too much longer, less than an hour. Tomorrow, I don't have to work and my husband will still be gone, so I will update as much as I can. Let's face it, I definitely don't have anything else to do with myself! **

**  
So please review, and I'm going to tell you now that this entire story is BPOV. Duh, it's Taylor Swift and her songs are all from a girl perspective.**

**I can't tell you if Edward and Bella will get together, but I can tell you that I will be updating my profile to include all the of chapter titles a link so that you can listen to the song as you read the chapter that was inspired by it.**

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This might be one of the craziest things I've ever done in my entire twenty nine years of life. Leaving my husband, getting on a plane to Chicago, and planning to live with a man I haven't seen in four years. Yeah, I was definitely crazy. As I sat on the plane and gazed out the window, I thought back to the conversation I had with Edward only hours before getting on this plane.

"_Hello?" He sounded just like I remembered him, but there was a more mature edge to his voice, and his tone was serious._

"_Hi. Um, this is Edward?" I asked nervously, biting my lip and taking a sip of the coke I had just bought at the rest stop where I had parked._

_There was a moment of hesitation on his part, and then he spoke, his voice sounding intrigued now. "Yes, this is Edward. Who is this?" He asked, and I cleared my throat, wondering how he would react when I told him everything. I had thought he would help me, but what if I was wrong? How much had Edward changed over the years?_

"_Edward, it's Bella. Bella Swan, well…Bella Black." I said finally, and I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Look, I know we haven't spoken for…like, four years, but I really need your help." I took a long deep, breath and continued my story before he could interrupt me. "I left Jake, and I've got nowhere else to go. I don't have any friends or a job or money, and you're the only person who cares about me, well, __**cared**_**, **_about me, and I don't even know why I'm calling you…oh my god this is so pathetic. Okay, you know what? You can just ignore this whole thing, I'm going to hang up now-"_

"_No, Bella, don't!" Edward exclaimed, and then there was a long pause. "Why don't you come to Chicago? I'll…I'll go buy a plane ticket online right now and then email to you. Can you access your email right now?"_

_Oh my god…he was actually going to come through for me! "Um, yes." I said awkwardly. "But Edward, you really don't have to do this. Although you should know that you were right about Jacob. He turned out to be no good." I admitted, tears gathering in my eyes. I wiped them away quickly, and stifled my tears away. I didn't need to cry over Jacob Black._

"_I'm sorry to hear that." Edward said softly. "I'll email you the flight details, okay? I can't wait to see you, Bella." He said, sounding earnest. "You'll be okay, right?"_

_I sniffled pathetically, and took yet another deep breath so that I could calm myself. "I'm going to be fine. Thank you so much, Edward…I really appreciate it." I said, and Edward chuckled softly._

"_It's no problem, Bella. You're the best friend I ever had."_

I had been amazed how quickly Edward had agreed to me coming to see him, but then again, that was just how Edward was. He was amazingly sweet and generous and genuinely cared for his family and close friends.

Sometimes he could seem like a hardass and a jerk, but he's really not. But what do I know? I haven't spoken to or seen my best friend in four years. And when I finally get to see him, it's because I finally got away from a husband who hits me. I just wish I had found the strength to get away sooner, before I had all these bruises and scars on my body.

As I continued to sit on the plane, I thought about Edward. It had been four long years…was he married? Did he have a girlfriend? I knew that he was a doctor, and that he was good at what he did, but that was all. I couldn't believe I hadn't asked him while we were on the phone. Our conversation had been brief and to the point, though. At this point, he was just selflessly helping me.

Before I had met Jacob, I had been crazy over Edward. He had no idea how much I had liked him, and I had never found the courage to let my feelings be known. And after two years of having a huge crush on my best friend, I met Jacob and gave up on the whole idea of ever being with Edward. I was stupid. I should have told Edward how I had felt all those years ago, and maybe I wouldn't have gone through all of this shit with Jacob. Things would have been so much different if I had just told Edward that I had been in love with him.

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I got off the plane and my nerves were all jumbled and my stomach was in knots. My eyes scanned through the terminal as I exited the plane, searching for Edward in the crowd. I didn't see him, though, so I sighed and followed the crowd to the baggage claim. I clutched my phone tightly, hoping that Edward would call or text me soon. I grabbed my two bags, and when I turned around, I nearly knocked over a tall man that stood behind me. I moved away and started to apologize and then realized that this man was _Edward_.

The moment that I looked into his beautiful green eyes, I completely lost it. I dropped my bags to the ground and threw my arms around him, letting the tears stream down my cheeks as I cried and held him tightly. Edward simply threaded one of his hands in my hair and held me tightly, not speaking. I didn't speak either, I just allowed myself to cry out all the pain and all the frustration I had been harboring. I was sage.

I would always be safe with Edward, in the arms of the first boy I had ever loved.

"Hey, Bella." Edward murmured after several moments, after I managed to stop crying pathetically and was able to control myself.

"Hi." I said shakily, and I was suddenly so embarrassed. I let go of him and my cheeks flamed bright red, but he didn't seem to mind. "Thank you so much, Edward. You…you were honestly the only person that I could turn to."

Edward nodded in understanding, a small crooked smile gracing his beautiful pink lips. "What happened, Bella?" He asked, and I shook my head, closing my eyes briefly. Edward nodded in understanding, and then picked up my bags for me. "Come on, let's go." He said, and I followed him to the airport parking lot in silence. We walked up to his car, and he held the door open me for me. "Go on and get in." He said, and I smiled.

The passenger seat of Edward's car had never looked quite so good to me. I slid in as Edward tossed my bags in the backseat, and then got in and started the car. "Thanks…again." I said softly, and he smiled at me, his green eyes lighting up. "Look, I don't want to talk about…things right now. I just want to catch up, at the moment." I said, and Edward nodded in agreement, his eyes back on the road now. "Are you married?" I asked awkwardly, and Edward laughed.

"Oh, no." He chuckled. "I kind of think that at this point, I'm incapable of falling in love. It's not going to happen." He swore, my heart dropped slightly. He sighed again and ran his long fingers through his reddish brown hair. I laughed, wishing again that I had found the strength years ago to admit my feelings for him.

But how in the world had he been able to overlook it? I knew every single thing about him. Well, everything about him up until four years ago. His favorite color was green, and so was mine because it was the color of his eyes. His sister, Alice, is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, and Edward looks just like his mother, but has exactly his father's eyes. I knew all of this, I knew every conceivable thing about him, but I had never let him know that I had been so amazingly in love with him as a teenager.

He should have seen the truth so many times…he had overlooked it over and over again. Shouldn't he have eventually realized how I felt? Doesn't he realize how _well_ I had known him?

But Edward Cullen sees everything in black and white. He has always been like that, and I have always hated it. There were so many peculiar things about him…he never let anyone see him cry, he never truly showed his emotions, and he never let others completely into his life. I had been the only one to actually see him for every amazing thing that he was.

We made small talk for the rest of the drive, and I was so relieved to find that things weren't awkward between us. We talked about his job and his parents and his sister, but I was careful to keep the conversation away from me and the twisted details of my life.

And then we pulled up to the large apartment building, and Edward parked the car in the underground garage. Again, he held the door open for me and we walked in silence to the elevator and road up to his apartment in silence.

His apartment was simple, but beautiful. It was clean, for the most part, but Edward had always been fairly clean and organized. Much more so than I had been, anyways. "Here, you can stay in here. If you want to sleep or something…um, this is your room." He mumbled, walking into what I assumed was the spare bedroom.

I followed behind him and he set my two bags on the floor and then backed up towards the doorway. "Um, I have to go to work in a few minutes, you just stay here. I'll be back around five, and we can…uh, we can talk about things." He gave me a quick hug, and then walked out of the room without looking back.

God, I never realized that I am still in love with Edward Cullen. I thought it was just a little puppy love, a teenage crush, but shouldn't that have died out by now? I haven't seen him in years, and now that I do, all of these emotions just burst forth all of a sudden and overtake me. It's overwhelming, but it feels _good_. For all these years, I've been married to a man that I'm not really in love with. And now I come face to face with Edward…and I remember what it feels like to be in love with a man that is so much better than you are.

I am holding every single breath for him. And the one chance I had gotten to tell him how I felt, I had lie. And if he did figure out that I loved him, I'd lie, because there's no way that I could ever deserve him.

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**Yeah, I know the whole thing was really awkward. It was **_**supposed to be like that.**_** Anyway, the next chapter was supposed to be 'You're Not Sorry' but instead, it will be 'Fifteen'. **

**Oh, and notice how long this chapter is and please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	4. Fifteen

**Thanks for all the reviews! If you have a question, just let me know. **

**The banner for this story is on my profile page, check it out!**

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I sat alone by myself in that spare bedroom for a long time, curled up in a ball on the bed and thinking about all that had gone in my life. I fell asleep eventually, and didn't wake up until I heard a knock on the bedroom door. I sat up, startled, and then remembered where I was. I was with Edward, and he wasn't going to hurt me. I stood quickly and opened the door, coming face to face with Edward. He held a takeout bag in his hands.

"I got you some food on my way home." He said softly, handing me the bag.

"Thank you." I said, surprised. I hadn't realized that it was a little past five, and I hadn't eaten all day except for a bag of peanuts on the plane. "Um, can we talk?" I asked, and Edward nodded, walking into the room and shutting the door behind me. He sat down on the bed after a moment of hesitation, and I sat down next to him.

He stared at me for a moment, and then reached out to gently touch the bruise that was on my cheek. "Jacob?" He asked in a serious, low voice. I bit my lip and nodded, and Edward clenched his teeth. "I'm going to kill him." He snarled, but I gripped his arm tightly.

"No, you're not. He's not worth it, Edward. I…I want nothing to do with him." I said, but I didn't even know if I was being completely honest. I had no idea if I was going to go crawling back to Jacob, because I couldn't decide how I felt. It was all just a jumble of emotions and tears and confusion, and my brain and my heart were both way too confused to make any kind of decision right now. "I should have listened to you…you warned me about him on our first day high school."

_I was so nervous about starting high school. I had just gotten comfortable with junior high, and now I was being thrust into a much more hard and complicated life. Edward was the only friend I had stayed in contact with over the summer. Actually, we had spent practically the entire summer together, and that was the summer that I fell head over heels for him. "I'm nervous." I whispered to Edward as his older brother, who was a senior, drove us to school on that first day._

"_Don't be." Edward assured me. That was all he said, and then we walked through those doors together. We walked down the hallway together as well, and waved to some of our friends. Edward and I were careful to avoid run ins with upper classmen and I was trying to remain calm. We'd be here in this school, in this tiny town, for at least the next four years._

_  
Edward and I separated so that we could go to our lockers, and right when I reached mine, I was confronted by a muscular, tall senior boy. He looked me up and down and winked. "Haven't seen you around before." He said in a deep voice, and I instantly blushed._

"_I'm a freshman." I admitted, but this boy didn't seem fazed. "Bella Swan." I added, and he smiled even wider._

"_Bella Swan, I'm Jacob Black." He said formally._

_And that was the start to the whole, twisted relationship. We hadn't started dating until the next summer, when he asked me to go to dinner with them. I wasn't sixteen yet, so I was so excited that he had a car to drive me around in. I was no longer a lowly freshman; I was the freshman who was dating the most popular boy on the football team. Edward and I had drifted apart that year, mostly because girls were all over him and I was all over Jacob. High school was a huge whirlwind- I was trying to figure out who I would be in life._

_I had never had many girl friends before, but now that I was close to Jacob, senior girls seem to have accepted me somewhat. I became friends with a red headed girl named Victoria, had she became a sort of replacement for Edward. The two of us still talked and hung out over the weekends, but it wasn't the same. Victoria became my mentor in all things to do with boys. She introduced me to makeup and fancy, expensive clothes and push up bras; things she said that I would need to get Jacob to fall for me._

_It took a while, but I finally did it, and Jacob Black asked me on a date. I felt like I was on top of the world, I felt like I was flying. But apparently Edward felt differently. He yelled at me and told me that Jacob was just going to use me, and that I was ridiculous, going after a boy who would be going to college in the fall. But in the end, he had backed off when I told him that I felt like Jacob was __**the one**_**. **

_And when that night ended, I still felt the same way about Jacob, because he had told me that he loved me. I was fifteen years old, so of course I believed him. Our first kiss, which was my first kiss __**ever**__, had made my head spin and my heart beat faster. I thought that dating the boy on the football team was the most important thing that I could do. I just didn't know it. All I wanted was to be wanted, and Jacob told me that he wanted me._

_I told myself that I was going to marry him, and that it was okay for me to sleep with him after only a few months of dating. After all, he loved me. Right?_

_At that point, Edward and I were still friends, but just barely. Edward hated Jacob and Jacob didn't give a crap about what Edward thought or said. I was so stupid- I wish I could go back and tell myself all that I know now. Edward was right, and Jacob was wrong. About everything. _

_I gave everything to a boy who didn't really love me, at least not entirely. I didn't look before I fell. I didn't know what kind of person I was supposed to be, and I made all the wrong mistakes, two times over._

_Time was supposed to heal all wounds, but Jacob kept going back and reopening them, over and over again. I was fifteen when I fell for Jacob Black. And I had no idea what I was getting myself into._

"Edward, why are you doing all of this for me?" I blurted out, and Edward's brow creased. "We haven't spoken in years, and you were right about everything. How can you want to be my friend again?" I asked, and Edward shrugged his shoulders, looking down at his hands.

"I don't know…I guess it's because I don't think we ever really stopped being friends." He said quietly, looking up at me. His big green eyes showed all of his emotions, right out in the open. "I still know everything about you, I still care about you."

I smiled at him and touched his hand. "Thank you." I said yet again, but for an entirely different reason.

"Why did you finally leave?" Edward asked me, and I inhaled deeply through my nose.

This was where my emotions got all complicated and confused. "I kept thinking his was going to stop…he told me that he would. But then he never did. And even worse, he would even acknowledge what he was doing. He would hit me and then say that he loved me. I was just so confused…but Jacob was all that I knew, and all that I had. I just wanted someone to love me." I whispered, and Edward stiffened, brushing my hair back from my face.

"You didn't have to rely on him for love, Bella. I loved you, you were my best friend!" He said, and I wished he hadn't added the 'you were my best friend part'. I wished Edward had loved me, like I had once loved him. "You were fifteen years old…and he changed you. I didn't like that."

"I know." I whispered, wiping my eyes. "I'm going to eat now, okay? And then I'll get some sleep, if you don't mind. Thank you for the food." He nodded and stood up, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head.

"Goodnight, Bella." He said.

I smiled at him and sighed. "Goodnight, Edward. I…I love you." I said, wishing that he would take it in the way that I knew he would. He would take it in the 'I love you, best friend' way.

"Love you too." He said easily, closing the door behind him. My heart dropped slightly, and I pushed my tears back and opened the bag of food he had brought, smiling widely when I opened the bag. My favorite food.

He did remember. He did care. And maybe, just maybe, he could really love me.

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**Hope you enjoyed it, please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	5. Untouchable

**Sorry I didn't tell you in advance the song for this chapter. It's 'Untouchable', which is from the Fearless Platinum Edition cd. **

**I've been posting links to the songs on my profile so that you can listen to the songs while you read. I'm usually not into country music, but I love Taylor Swift!**

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That night, I hardly slept at all. I couldn't wrap my mind around this. I had finally left all the conflicting and scary emotions of being with Jacob, and then I was just thrust into his whole thing with Edward. I would have never expected to_ still _have such strong feelings for him. In high school, I had completely given up on Edward and had thrown myself at Jacob. I had made such a big mistake.

Edward…he seemed like he was untouchable, unobtainable. I just wanted to reach out and grab him to make sure that he couldn't run away from me. I was so caught up in him, and I couldn't even tell him why. Edward was special. He was so bright and strong and intelligent and…just perfect. After years of being apart, I felt like I was coming undone now that we were with each other again.

When I did manage to doze off in the night, my sleep was consumed with dreams of him. But I didn't know what to do, because I was terrified to put myself out there. Why couldn't he just say that he liked me and that we could be together? He was like a little taste of heaven; my biggest and greatest dream.

Edward said that he would be here for me through all of this. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he had still done all of this for me. That meant something, right? I can't just wait here all this time for him to love me, even though I want to. I couldn't help but feel that he was off limits because he was my best friend. We've been so close in such a wonderful, happy way, but it's not the only place I want to be with him. I want Edward to be by my side in every aspect of my life.

But why has he stayed single all these years? He's stunningly attractive, has money, has a great job, and is the most amazing person I've ever known. What is holding him back from having a relationship? Deep down, I'm praying that he's been waiting for me to come back to him. I'm praying for him to feel the same way that I feel for him, but I also feel like that's impossible. I've been in love with him for years, and I've never worked up the courage to tell him. Edward is stronger and more outspoken than I am- he would have said something, I know he would have.

My god…I am so caught up in him, it hurts.

-----

The next morning, I shuffled into Edward's kitchen wearing the same clothes as yesterday and a robe. It was almost eight o'clock, and Edward wasn't up yet. So I decided to take this opportunity to express at least a little of my gratitude and make him something for breakfast. When we were younger, he loved pancakes. So that's what I made. By the time I had poured the batter, which I had managed to make from scratch, Edward came into the kitchen.

He wasn't disheveled from sleep like I was, however. He was wearing sweats and tennis shoes, and looked a little sweaty. "Hey." He said as a greeting, and then grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and took a long swig.

"Did you go running?" I asked, looking him up and down.

"Yeah." Edward murmured, putting the bottle of water back into the fridge and glancing over at me. "Breakfast?" He asked interestedly.

I nodded, smiling up at him. "Yep. They're still your favorite, right? I mean, I remember that you liked them, and I thought that maybe I could do something for you…especially because of all your doing for me." I yammered on and on, and Edward just continued to smile at me before holding his long index finger up to my lips to silence me.

"Shh, Bella. Take a breath." He laughed, and then trailed his band down to my shoulder, squeezing lightly before releasing me. "And yes, I still like pancakes. Thank you." He added, and then looked down at himself. "I'm going to take a real quick shower, okay? I'll be back in like five minutes." He promised, and then pecked me on the cheek before running off. I smiled after him, and when he disappeared around the corner, I reached up and touched my cheek where he had kissed me, grinning like a fool.

Goodness…if he kept doing things like that, I was going to combust.

-----

"How are you doing?" Edward asked over breakfast, spearing a piece of pancake on his fork and shoving it into his mouth.

I simply shrugged my shoulders and looked down at my plate, cutting my pancake into a bunch of tiny little pieces. "I'm doing just fine…I think I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything." I admitted, taking a small sip of my orange juice. "But I really don't want to talk about it until I figure some things out." I added in a soft voice, still looking down at my plate.

"Oh, Bella…what did he do to you?" Edward asked softly, curling his index finger under my chin and lifting my head up, forcing me to look at him. When I met his eyes, they were sad and questioning. I turned my head away, blinking back tears. I didn't want to cry in front of him anymore…I didn't want him to see me like that. "Bella, please, talk to me." Edward murmured imploringly. "I care about you, so much. You're my best friend." He whispered, and a few tears slipped down my cheeks.

Edward reached over and wiped them away with the pad of his thumb, sighing heavily. "I took off work today. Come on, leave the dishes and we can watch a movie or…something. We don't have to talk about if you don't want to."

So that's just what we did. Edward and I sat on his couch and watched _Titanic_, of all things. It was on television and the first time either of us had watched it was with each other. I laid across the couch and laid my head on his lap, practically holding my breath as I did so. Every once and awhile he would run his fingers through my hair or touch my neck, and I would grin widely, thankful that he couldn't see me. His soft touches were beautiful, and I relished them. These touches were amazing and giving me hope, but Edward and I had always been like this. Soft touches had never meant anything to us before, even before I had fallen for him, so there was a good chance that they didn't mean anything now. At least for him, because each touch was special to me.

Because he was, after all, my little piece of heaven.

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**Hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will be 'Jump Then Fall'. Please review and tell me what you thought of the chapter.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	6. Jump Then Fall

**I regret to inform you that as of right now, you're not going to get any EPOV. This is Bella's story, and although will we get a little input from Edward, it's mostly BPOV.**

**It's hard writing a story like this. On one hand, it's nice because you get inspiration from the lyrics. On the **_**other**_** hand it's really hard to work in dialogue and make the chapter of adequate length, and it's difficult to capture a lot of emotions in the characters. **

**So please review and tell me what you think of this chapter!**

**Oh, and you have LILYLUVTWILIGHT to thank for this chapter. She was rather adamant that I update again tonight ;)**

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I've been here for a week, and it's amazing how liberated I feel. Edward and I have spent this time reconnecting, and trying to get back our friendship after being apart for so long. Edward wakes me up every morning, and his voice is just the thing I want to wake up to. He wakes me up about two hours before he goes to work, usually around six, and we go running together around Millennium Park. This morning is no different.

"Ready to go for a run?" Edward knocks on my door, and I pulled my hair up into a ponytail before opening the door and smiling widely at him.

"Yep, let's go." I said easily, flipping off the lights and pulling the door shut behind me. "I like running." I said as we went down in the elevator. "It's so soothing…and such an amazing stress reliever." I commented, stealing Edward's water bottle and taking a big swig before thrusting it back towards him. "I ran a lot towards the end of…" I trailed off, clearing my throat. "Towards the end of things with Jacob." I finally finished, and Edward nodded, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

I could see the concern in his eyes, and it's hard for me to stomach. I can't keep lying to him and blowing him off, but I'm also not ready to talk about things. Edward has been amazing, and I love how well he's been keeping my preoccupied. I can't keep my focus around him, but I like that. I watch as he talks animatedly, and all I can think is how he and I should be together. But he doesn't notice the way I look at him.

He didn't realize that after a week, he was the most important thing in my life. He didn't realize that I wanted nothing more than for him to be happy. It was like Edward and I were intertwined- every time he smiled, I smiled, and every time his beauty was able to shine through, I wanted to shine for him. I wanted Edward to be proud of me, and I wanted Edward to realize just how much I cared for him because I was too chicken to say it myself.

It was selfish, but I just wanted him to jump into my arms and love me forever. It was terrible, because that was exactly what I had done with Jacob; just waited for him to love me and then toss myself in his arms. I would never leave him, I would never hurt him, and I was going to stay through it all, as long as he wanted to be with me too.

As we started our run, I admired the way his hair fell in his face, I took in each freckle on his face, and I realized just how wrapped up in him I was. I love every single thing about him, and I loved that he was everything that I've ever wanted.

Edward has been trying to give me a little space, but I want him to come closer, and fall in love with me.

I feel like such a selfish woman. I want him to give up so much just so that he would love me back…I was proud of him, and I wished that he could be proud of me for some reason. I really had nothing to show for myself, except for the fact that I was able to get out of a bad marriage. Edward constantly told me how brave I was for that, but I felt weak. I wasn't even able to keep a marriage together, how was I supposed to be able to keep my life together?

I need him, and I know he needs me, even if it is as just a friend. I'm going to be here to catch him when he falls, and I'll be here to congratulate him when he succeeds. From now on…I'm just going to support him for all I'm worth.

-----

"Are you hungry?" Edward came back into the apartment that night after his shift, brandishing a bag of takeout food towards me.

I sat up on the couch, holding my arms out towards him. Edward gave me a big, warm hug before sitting down next to me and handing me a container of Chinese food. "Mmm, thank you." I said, digging right into my food and changing the channel from _America's Next Top Model_ to _House_, because I knew Edward couldn't stand anything to do with Tyra Banks. "How was your day at work?" I asked. "Save any lives?" I poked him with my foot, smiling sweetly.

"Sure did." Edward laughed, not looking away from the television. "What did you do?" He asked, spearing a piece of chicken with his chopstick and popping it into his mouth.

I stretched out on the couch, dropping my feet on his lap. "I cleaned the apartment up." I said nonchalantly, gesturing around the room. "If there's one thing I can do, it's clean." I added, thinking back to my life with Jacob. He complained about a lot of things, but the state of our home was not one of them. And I had been thankful for that.

"Wow, thanks, Bella." Edward said earnestly, setting his takeout container on the end table and grabbing my feet to give me a massage. A shudder ran through my body when he first touched me, but it seemed that he, once again, didn't even notice.

_Just __**jump**__, Edward. I'll be here to catch you and show you that I love you._

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**Sorry for a slightly short chapter here, but I wanted to update tonight and I really had nothing else for this song inspiration.**

**Next chapter is a debate between 'Stay Beautiful' and 'Crazier'. What do you think I should do?**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	7. Stay Beautiful

**I've gotten some really good reasons to do a little EPOV, so I decided to try and find a song that will work for you guys to get a chapter from Edward's sense. Do you have any song suggestions? Because I honestly have no idea what song I could do!**

**Ah! Thanks for the reviews, guys. I really do appreciate it, even if I can't reply to a lot of them.**

**The song I used for this chapter is 'Stay Beautiful'. I was very liberal with the interpretation of the lyrics, so don't freak out on me for changing it a little bit. But really, I didn't change it very much. Also, a lot of you wanted to know why Bella just doesn't tell Edward how she feels. Well, she just got out of an abusive marriage. Bella is just afraid of rejection, and thinks that he could never feel the same.**

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I smile up at Edward again, taking in the vivid green color of his eyes. They were like a jungle, dark and mysterious, but also warm and loving. His smile is the most beautiful thing, and he still doesn't realize what he is to me.

Being beautiful doesn't mean just being attractive, which Edward undoubtedly was. But it was also about being a good person, which he also was. I don't know who else would do what he's done for me. Taking me into his life without asking hardly any questions, giving me a place to stay, and just being my friend through this time in which I am so confused. I owe him everything for this. Every sweet gesture he made, and every kind word, meant the world to me. And I hope that eventually, life leads him right to me. But if it doesn't, he'll still be beautiful to me, in every sense of the word.

I didn't really realize that the movie we had been watching was over until Edward tugged gently on my ear. I blinked several times and sat up, blushing slightly. "Sorry, I kind of spaced out there." I giggled, and then slid off the couch and popped my knuckles. "Do you want dessert?" I asked, walking back around the couch and rubbing his neck. Edward tilted his head back and winked at me.

"Of course, sugar." He teased. I rolled my eyes and smacked the back of his head before he stood up and followed me into the kitchen. "Mmm…cookies. Thanks, Bella." Edward said eagerly, taking a bite of his cookie and smiling.

"No problem." I said easily, wiping a crumb from the corner of his mouth and then picking up a cookie for myself. "Do you have to work a long shift tomorrow?" I questioned, wishing that he didn't have to. He was always grumpier when he worked long shifts at the hospital, and he got home a lot later.

He sighed and finished chewing before answering me. "Yeah, I have a double shift. I'll be back around eight, I guess." I nodded and bit my lip, wishing that he didn't have to go. It was childish, really, but I didn't want him to leave. But he had to work, obviously. Edward noticed my pouting and rubbed my shoulder. "Bella, maybe you should just get out of here." He said, gesturing around the apartment. "You've barely left all week, and you've never been out on your own. Don't you want to go shopping or explore Chicago or…something?" He asked, and I stared at him for a moment.

What Edward was saying was true, though. I hadn't been out hardly at all, and I was usually not a very dependent person. Most of the time, I functioned on my own and got things done for myself. I hadn't even realized just how much I was relying on Edward lately.

"I…" I faltered for a moment, trying to figure out what I really wanted to say. "I guess you're right. I'll go out tomorrow." I said in a strong, firm voice. "Any suggestions?" I asked, and Edward raised his eyebrows at me, his lips twisting into a smirk.

"Depends on what you want to do." He said simply. "Shopping? Go to Water Tower Place. Food? The Grand Luxe Café. But don't go to too many tourist places." Edward said as he starting to unload the dishwasher. I started helping as well, putting away cups and plates while he sorted out the silverware.

"Why go not to tourist places?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow.

Edward laughed and shut the dishwasher, putting the last of the silverware away. "I'll take you to all of the tourist spots when I get a day off." He promised, and I grinned. "And tomorrow, you should come by the hospital and have lunch with me." Edward suggested, and I put my hands on my hips.

"Only on one condition, Dr. Cullen." I said, taking a step towards him. "I buy lunch." I said, and then walked away, putting an end to the conversation.

-----

Edward had left for work hours ago, and I was getting ready to go and meet him for lunch. While he suggested that we meet up somewhere downtown, I insisted in meeting him at the hospital. What can I say? I'm dying to see him in his…_element_. After putting on a simple black skirt and a soft periwinkle sweater, I ran a brush through my hair and hurriedly applied a little bit of makeup. As I made my way out of the apartment, I tugged on my shoes and grabbed my purse.

As always, Edward finds another way to be the highlight of my day. I have to take pictures in my mind so that I can save them up forever. And it's so impossible for me to just be around him, because he's constantly taking my breath away. And even though I can't make up my mind about what I'm going to do with my life, I just want to tell him how beautiful he is to me.

Because Edward is basically my life story. Every single significant moment of my childhood involved him. He was my life story; at least the story of my _happy_ life. Sure, there were some happy moments with Jacob, but those have kind of been destroyed by hurt and pain. It was like Jacob was the reality and Edward was the daydream.

I know that I'll never get him if I don't work up the courage to at least let Edward know just how strongly I feel for him. But I can't make myself do it- I feel like I'm setting myself up for rejection.

By the time I got to the hospital where Edward worked, I was almost fifteen minutes late. Cursing traffic and taxi drivers under my breath, I hurried into the building and walked towards the main desk, where Edward had promised to meet up with me. Right as I approached, I spotted Edward standing behind the desk with a clipboard in hand, and I had to stop myself from calling out to him.

He wasn't alone.

Hanging onto his arm, gazing up at him adoringly, was a heartstoppingly beautiful blonde woman in scrubs. I paused, my mouth dropping open slightly as the woman stood up on her tip toes and kissed the very corner of Edward's mouth before walking away. And I stood there and watched as his eyes followed her, the way I knew that my eyes followed him.

It looked like…it looked like he had lied to me when he said there was no woman in his life. And it looked like my dreams had just been crushed. 

**------**

**Ooooohhhh….what do you think about that? Just so you know, I've had that little twist planned since the beginning of the story. The next chapter, which will probably be up tomorrow or on Friday, will be 'Invisible'.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	8. Change

**So…here's that EPOV chapter. This chapter was originally going to be 'Invisible', but instead it's 'Change', and it will indeed be from Edward's point of view. I started typing this Wednesday night, and I have no idea how long it's going to talk me to do this chapter. EPOV was not among my original plans, and I'm trying to be very…careful…with this chapter.**

**Thanks again for your beautiful reviews 3**

**IMPORTANT**

**This chapter takes place right when Bella arrives in Chicago and then moves forward, okay? Thanksss!**

**Ha! Got this done earlier than expected!**

**-----**

EPOV

The last time I saw my best friend was four years ago, on her wedding day. I had never been a fan of Jacob Black, but I respected Bella's choice for a partner. It was obvious that she was crazy over him, and as far as I knew, he treated her well. But there was this dull ache in my stomach as I watched her get married, and I didn't know what it was. She was just…_Bella_. My best friend. I should have been happy for her, but I actually felt _angry_. I didn't want her to get married, even though she had assured me that this was what she wanted.

So I just let her go, and decided to go to med school in Chicago. I left the day after her wedding.

I lived the next four years contently and had plenty of friends, but I still missed my Bella. I had no idea why we didn't stay in touch…we just didn't. Every once and awhile she would drift into my mind, and I would wonder what she was doing and if she was still happy. Because I did want her to be happy; she was my best friend and always had been. I don't know if I have a happy memory of my childhood that doesn't include Bella, because she was a constant, always there.

It had been nearly exactly four years when I got that phone call, and I knew something was wrong. Even after all of these years, I could still recognize when Bella was upset. So I told her to come to Chicago without hesitation.

And when I actually _saw _her, I was disgusted. There were bruises marring her pale skin, while I suspected that they had been caused by her husband, I didn't say anything, just gave her the space she seemed to want. But that final blow hit me, and I knew what she had gone through. I had already lost my best friend, and then I had to see that he had hurt her. This was just repeating history- I knew that he had hit her once when we were seventeen, but he had sworn that he would never do it again. _Liar_.

I believed in Bella- I believed in her and I would do anything so that she could see things through.

Four years with Jacob, and my Bella had built walls around herself that I had no idea how to break down. I know that they'll fall eventually, but I want my best friend back. I'm not going to let Jacob Black get to her again, though. I'm going to do everything in my power to protect her from him, and from everything else.

I wanted to tell her that just because she felt alone, didn't mean she was. I was always going to be here for her. Even when the fight seems unfair and unwinnable, I'm going to be here fighting along with her. This is how it's been since we were little kids. We protect each other- no matter what the circumstances. We don't have to be scared when we have each other.

The Bella I know doesn't give up, and I want it to stay that way. When I look into her wide brown eyes, her beautiful eyes, I know that she's going to be able to beat this.

-----

"One on condition, Dr. Cullen." Bella said sassily, moving closer to me and placing her hands on her hips. "I buy lunch." She said firmly, and then turned on her heel and walked out of the room. I laughed and I heard the door to her bedroom close.

Bella was actually coming back. It had only been a week, and she was acting like herself again. Things will change in her life, in my life, and it's wonderful to know that. The walls Bella has built are falling down around her, and she's already turning back into the girl that I called my best friend; vivacious, bossy, and caring. But lately, something else has changed, and I'm not sure that I knew what it was.

I wasn't stupid; I knew that Bella had felt _something _for me that was more than friendship. At the time, I had absolutely no interest in her in that way, and had honestly been a bit relieved when she had fallen in love with someone else, even if it was Jacob. Now…I didn't know exactly what I was feeling. And when Bella asked me about relationship, I hadn't known what to tell her.

Would she understand? Or would she be disgusted and hate me forever? The relationship I had with Rosalie was…complicated. It wasn't exactly a relationship, either. We had never felt the need to discuss the whole thing, and I liked it that way. Things with Rose were…simple. Things were easy and I didn't have to think about it. I loved Rosalie, but not in the way that you're thinking.

I just…I just don't know.

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**That was hard, but easier than I thought it would be. I apologize for a short chapter, but honestly I was relieved to get that over with. Not sure if you're going to be getting anymore EPOV…I did **_**not**_** like writing it, but I guess it really was needed.**

**Please review and tell me what you thought!**

**Next chapter will be 'Invisible'.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	9. Invisible

**Yeah, we had a little delay in updating for this story, but I was…well, I was just pretty busy. I wanted to let you all know that there will be another EPOV chapter somewhere in this story, I just don't know when or anything like that. It's a little harder to write, but it will be needed to add more to the story.**

**And here's a little self-advertisement of my newest story:**

_**Commander in Chief, by lovelovelove22**_

_**President and First Lady. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen...Edward and Bella. Upon moving into the White House, Edward and Bella encounter difficulties they never imagined.**_

**If you've got some time to spare, then please go check that story out too! It would be much appreciated.**

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I stood there in the hallway and stared at Edward for a moment as he continued to watch after the blonde woman. Eventually, I convinced my legs to move and walked over to Edward, trying to stay calm and not freak out on him. He didn't know how I felt about him and it was totally natural for him to be attracted to someone.

"Hey." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. Edward jumped slightly and turned around to face me, his cheeks flushing a slight pink color.

"Hey, Bella." He said, giving me a hug and kissing my forehead. "Are you ready to go eat?" He asked, and I nodded my head.

I was unable to do anything but smile. I just looked after the mysterious blonde woman and then nudged Edward. "Who was that?" I asked weakly, and the corners of Edward's mouth turned down slightly and he swallowed noisily. "Come on, Edward. Who's the blonde?" I asked, trying to sound for playful than I was really feeling, trying to pretend that this wasn't killing me.

Edward just shook his head and bit his lip, looking down at the floor. "Rosalie…she's one of the nurses here." He finally muttered, and my heart sank a little. Rosalie. That perfect woman had a name now, and it made me _hate _her. She didn't know. She couldn't possibly love Edward as much as I did.

There was no way that she saw the beauty in Edward that I saw. It wasn't just his flawless features, but little individual things about him that made me love him so much. The way his eyes lit up when he smiled, the way he stared at her, the way that he was _everything _to me. But that was true; Edward really was everything to me now.

"Fine. Let's just go to lunch." I said lightly, linking arms with him. Edward nodded and pursed his lips, and I squeezed his arm gently. "I didn't mean to pry." I said softly. "I was just curious." Edward exhaled loudly and looked down at me, looking more laid back and relaxed than he had just a few seconds ago. "She seems really…pretty." I added, knowing that there wasn't anything else that I could say.

Edward laughed, smiling genuinely now. "Yeah, she is pretty amazing. I just don't think…she's not exactly girlfriend material or anything like that." He said, and I exhaled noticeably. "Why so relieved?" He asked me, raising his eyebrows. I blushed and ducked my head.

"I'm…I'm just concerned about you." I lied. "You are my best friend, after all." Edward chuckled and kissed the top of my head as we walked into the hospital cafeteria.

"True. Thanks for watching out for me." He winked and led me to the lunch line, keeping our arms linked. "Now, what do you want to eat? I'm sorry I can't offer you anything better than cafeteria food, but I'm on call." I shrugged my shoulders as Edward grabbed a try for the both of us.

"Whatever your having, just grab me some, and I'll get us some drinks." I suggested, and then skirted off to the drinks cooler.

I met up with Edward at the register and we fought over who would pay, but he ended up winning in the end. We then made our way through the crowded cafeteria and sat down at a table where several people were already sitting. There was a blonde, curly haired man, a burly man with dark brown hair, and then Rosalie, the blonde woman who I pretty much wanted to kill at this point.

Edward pulled out a chair for me and sat down, exchanging greetings with the three people already sitting there. "Bella, this is Jasper Whitlock, Emmet McCarty, and Rosalie Hale." Edward said, and I swallowed heavily when Edward grinned as he said Rosalie's name. "Guys, this is Bella." He said. I waved halfheartedly and sat down, unable to take my eyes off of Edward and Rosalie.

They were sitting next to each other, and I could see that their knees were touching under the table. As the conversation flowed around, I contributed a little but many focused on trying to figure out a way to tell Edward how I felt about him. Now that I saw him lusting after another woman, there was no way I would be able to just stand by and be silent for any longer. I needed to tell him how I felt, even if that meant basically destroying our friendship.

But this woman, Rosalie Hale, would never love Edward the way I did, and he needed to know that. I didn't want to stand here and let Edward stare straight through me any longer. If Edward and I had a shot, it would be a beautiful, unbelievable miracle.

The fire that was inside Edward was captivating, and it shone through so magically. But no matter what he did, I doubted the Rosalie would ever see that light. It was crazy, how I could think of nothing but Edward and all that we could be together. I want to see his eyes open up and realize that we could be beautiful together, instead of just invisible.

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**Sorry for a short chapter…I'm busy today! Next chapter will be 'Teardrops on My Guitar'.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	10. Teardrops On My Guitar

**Please, don't be worried with this chapter. Things are going to change a bit.**

**And for those of you who actually read the author's note, there's a spoiler in the A/N down at the bottom before my salutation.**

**Sorry for a slight delay, but I've been super duper busy. Please review and tell me what you thought! P.S. There are twelve chapters left in this story, by the way!**

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I left the hospital feeling terribly downtrodden. If my competition was Rosalie Hale, I had no chance at all. Over lunch, I had realized how accomplished and beautiful she was, just like Edward. She played piano expertly, she was an ER nurse, she did a lot for charity, and she was drop dead gorgeous. And when Edward thought I was out of sight, I had turned around at the door to see them _kissing_.

What the hell was going on here? Edward had told me that Rosalie wasn't the relationship type so, what…were they just screwing around? Did it mean anything? Edward wasn't the type of guy to be with people nonexclusively. Maybe Edward wanted a committed relationship, but Rosalie didn't. But who in the world wouldn't want to be in a relationship with Edward?

He's _everything._ He looks at me, and I have to fake a smile so that he can't see how much of an effect he still has on me…so that he won't see how badly I want and need him. I want to tell him how I feel, but I don't know how to do it. What if he doesn't feel the same? Our friendship and living arrangement would become so awkward and uncomfortable, and I wouldn't be able to handle that. Besides, I didn't have everyone else to depend on. I needed Edward for support and love and friendship and everything else in between. That reminds me…it's been two entire weeks since I left Jacob back in Forks.

These two weeks have passed in a flash, and I can't believe it. But I am relieved that Jacob has respected my boundaries and not called me or tried to contact me in any other way. It was so wrong that I had to feel this way about my husband. What was even sadder was that I hardly even remembered what it was like to be married. I looked down at my hand absentmindedly. I hadn't taken of my ring…I'm not even sure why I've left it on. This ring doesn't really mean anything to me anymore.

But still, I didn't take it off.

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Edward walked in through the door to the apartment, looking a little tired but still smiling. He looked at me, and my heart literally felt like it was melting.

"Hey." He said, hanging his jacket up and loosening his tie.

"Hey, you." I said, refocusing on the television instead of looking at Edward any longer.

He walked closer to me, and I almost cried when the faint smell of sweet perfume met my nostrils. He smelled like her. "Are you okay?" Edward asked, dropping onto the couch next to me and propping his feet up on the coffee table. I nodded, still not looking at him. He was silent for a little while, and then spoke again. "Because, you know, you really seem like you're pissed at me."

I shook my head and finally looked up at him, staring into his green eyes. "I'm just a little stressed out." I said coolly. "I made dinner earlier and put some in the fridge for you. I'm going to bed now." I said softly, knowing that if I was sitting so close to him for much longer I would start crying.

"Bella, please…" Edward tried to stop me, but I was already standing up. Not wanting to totally put him off, I pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head before leaving the living room and walking into my room, shutting the door behind me as softly as I could.

It wasn't fair. I had been put through so much shit in my life, and now _she_ gets everything that I have to live without. I've lost my parents, my home, my husband, and the boy I love. It seems so wrong to think that my husband is no longer the one I love, but it's the truth. I was a stupid girl, trying to convince myself that I loved Jacob and not Edward.

Really, it's horrible. I can't even see anyone else when he's with me. I can't focus on anything but Edward. It's both agonizing and wonderful at the same time, and I feel like I'm torturing myself by not saying anything about how I feel. I have to do it, I know I do. But the risks seem too great, especially now that he's involved with another woman.

Damn her. Damn Rosalie Hale to hell.

Then again, it's not really her fault at all because she doesn't know. She has no idea that the man she's fooling around with is the same man that I'm in love with. I wish that I could tell Edward that he was the one that I think about late at night, if he knows that the only thing helping me stay together.

Edward Cullen is the reason for my tears. He's the only thing that keeps me wishing on stars. He's the one I can't get off my mind. He's the kind of flawless I wish I could be. And he's the only one who's got enough of me to break my heart. Not even my own husband can break me like this, even though he's tried so many times. Jacob has hit me and hurt me, but Edward is the one that makes me ache.

Rosalie Hale better hold onto him and look into those beautiful green eyes I love so much, and know that she's lucky that she has his affections. Somehow, I'm going to get over my fear of rejection and just come clean for once in my life. I've been keeping these emotions under wraps for ten years…and it's time that they came out.

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**So for that spoiler…In the end, this is an E/B story. But I need to warn you that the road will be bumpy. Just trust me, alright? In addition, I also have the rest of the stories chapters picked out:**

'**You Belong With Me' (BPOV)**

'**Tied Together With a Smile' (EPOV **_**and **_**BPOV)**

'**Breathe' (BPOV)**

'**A Perfectly Good Heart' (EPOV)**

'**A Place in This World' (BPOV)**

'**You're Not Sorry' (BPOV)**

'**Breathless' (EPOV)**

'**I'm Only Me When I'm With You' (BPOV)**

'**Today was a Fairytale' (BPOV)**

'**Crazier' (BPOV)**

'**Two is Better than One' (BPOV)**

**And…'Mary's Song' (BPOV)**

**Yes, I'm going to do more EPOV. Again, they are a bit harder to right but they are also needed! And 'Two Is better Than One' is a song by Boys Like Girls, but it features Taylor Swift so I let that one slide. **

**Please review and tell me what you thought!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	11. You Belong With Me

**I want you all to know that although my song outline is pretty secure, it's not concrete. There's a good chance that it could change!**

**Once again, thanks for all of your reviews and support…it means a lot! My updating this week has been pretty sucky, but I should be able to update plenty this weekend, as long as I don't have to much to do around the house.**

**As always, please review! And I also want to apologize for a chapter that might be a bit short. I'm busy, guys, I have a real life.**

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When I woke up sometime in the middle of the night, I could hear soft voices coming from the other room. I sat up in bed and clutched my blankets around me, straining to hear what was going on. It didn't take me very long to figure out that it was Edward, and the other voice could be no one but Rosalie. I rubbed my eyes and reached over to my nightstand, picking up my iPod and plugging it in so that I didn't have to listen to them.

It was one o'clock in the morning. I had gone to bed around ten last night…what time had she come over? And why in the world had they needed each other so badly? I thought back to Jacob, like I often did at night, and furrowed my eyebrows. With Jacob, our physical relationship had never been the 'I need you, right here, right now' kind of thing. It had never been that passionate. But then again, Edward was passionate about _everything_.

Suddenly I could hear louder voices over my iPod, and I quickly yanked out my headphones so that I could eavesdrop on them. They were being so loud that I didn't even have to strain to listen.

"Oh my _god_, Rosalie, I didn't mean it like that! I was kidding!" Edward said, and I rolled my eyes. Of course, Rosalie didn't get his sense of humor like I did. Edward and blunt and sarcastic…his sense of humor was very dry.

"Oh yes you did! I heard you loud and clear, Edward." Rosalie snapped, and I sat up in bed again, listening closer now.

I heard Edward sigh loudly, but had to strain to hear his next words. "Please be quiet, I don't want us to wake Bella." He said, and I smirked. _Hah_. It hurts me to know that he's sleeping with her, but at least I know that he actually still cares for me.

"Don't even get me started on Bella, Edward." Rosalie snapped, not any quieter than she had been before. "I can't believe you don't see the way she looks at you. It's so obvious." My heart panged slightly, because Rosalie _did_ know how I felt, and she was still with him. "Tell me right now if you have feelings for her too. Because if you do, I'm not going to stand in the way."

Edward was silent for a moment, and I held my breath as I waited for him to answer. "I…I don't know." He finally said. "She's special, Rosalie. I don't want her to leave, but I don't know…"

"Well, you need to figure it out." Rosalie said bluntly. "She's crazy about you, Edward. I doubt she would want me to tell you that, but I can see that it's very true. Just make a decision, and let me know, because I'm not going to sit around and wait for you."

It was true that I wished Rosalie hadn't told him, but at least Edward had some kind of idea now, and I didn't have to debate on how to tell him how I truly felt. But how could be ever chose me over Rosalie? She was beautiful and wore pretty clothes, and I just wore sweats. She seemed like the kind of woman who was a born leader, and I was definitely a born follower. I felt pathetic; just dreaming about the day when Edward would realize that the two of us could have a chance in love.

I understand him. I know all that he's been through, I know everything there is to know about him. But why can't he see that he belongs with me? In my eyes, it's painfully obvious. I've been here all along, just waiting for him.

Thinking back to our teenage years, I couldn't help but smile. We would walk down the street together, and I would always think about how perfect it all felt. Laughing together and having fun…it all seemed so easy and effortless. Edward had a smile that could light up all of Forks, and now that he was an adult, it seemed to have dimmed slightly. What was he doing with a girl like Rosalie? She seemed perfectly nice and was obviously beautiful, but…we could be _Edward and Bella_. That sounded so beautiful, even when it was just in my mind.

But again, Rosalie was more feminine and enticing. She was the beautiful cheerleader type, wearing high heels and short skirts, and I was like a normal, plain girl, just sitting in the bleachers wearing tennis shoes and tee shirts. She was a doer, I was a dreamer…and I was dreaming about Edward and how wonderful we could be if he would just figure things out.

When we were kids, we were everything to each other. Edward was still my everything, and I can only hope that I'm still his. I remember him driving to my house in the middle of the night before Charlie died, sneaking into my room and seeking comfort. I was the one who made him laugh when he knew he was going to cry, I was the one to know all his secrets and hopes and dreams.

And I knew then, and even now, that he simply belongs with me.

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**I have to work late tomorrow night, so if I am able to update, it probably won't be for this story…probably for 'Painted' or 'Commander in Chief'. And yet again, I would appreciate all comments and reviews and whatnot.**

**Oh, and thanks for putting up with my errors. After the story is over, I'm planning to go through and edit everything.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	12. A Place In This World

**Hey there! **

**So, this chapter was originally supposed to be 'Tied Together With a Smile', but I had to change it to 'A Place In This World'. And I just need to remind you- things are going to be getting a little rocky between our favorite couple. Just bear with me, okay? I promise it'll turn out just fine.**

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When I woke up around nine in the morning, the apartment was totally and completely silent. I rubbed my eyes and put on my bathrobe before leaving my room and padding into the kitchen. Edward's work schedule was so hectic and unpredictable that I couldn't even keep track of it anymore. I just knew that when Edward wasn't here, he was usually working at the hospital.

Sure enough, as I went to open the refrigerator, there was a note written in Edward's unmistakable handwriting.

_Working until six. There are muffins on the counter for breakfast. –Edward_

I sighed and crumbled the note in my hand before pouring myself a glass of orange juice and grabbing one of the muffins that Edward had left sitting on the counter. As I sat down at the kitchen table, I caught sight of my cell phone, peeking out from underneath of a stack of magazines. When I had first come here, I wasn't ready to talk to Jacob or have any kind of communication with him, so I had turned my phone off, stuck it underneath the pile of magazines, and hadn't looked at it since.

Now, I was curious. I reached for my phone and turned it on, taking a big bite of my muffin as I waited for it to turn out. When it finally did, the screen displayed _36 missed calls_. My breath caught in my throat for a moment as I opened the missed calls log and saw that thirty of the thirty six calls were from Jacob. I also had fifty two text messages, the majority of which were from my husband.

At least he still cared on some level.

But I don't even know what I want, and I need to figure it all out. When I first fell for Edward, I had decided that it was just a crush. And then Jacob had come along, and he had actually wanted me back. Now, I wondered if I had ever really loved Jacob, or if I had just wanted _anyone _to love me. Because now that I was here with Edward, it was painfully obvious that my feelings for him had never faded in the slightest. If anything, they had just intensified. I had been fooling myself.

I had hurt myself, I had hurt Jacob, and I had even hurt Edward. What was I even doing here? Edward obviously didn't love me, at least not as more than a friend. I don't know what I want…I'm still trying to figure it out. I don't even know what is down the road…I can't even see ahead of me.

I have never felt more alone, even with Edward here with me. I wanted _love_…and I had no idea where to go to find it. I can't be the only person in the world feeling like this. There must be someone somewhere how understands what I'm going through in this whole mess, but it still feels like I've got no one.

Sometimes I've been able to act strong, but lately everything I do just seems to be wrong. Life should just go on…but it's not. I need to find myself a place in this world, and it's even harder not knowing where things stand with certain people. I thought back to what I had heard Rosalie say to Edward, and my heart constricted.

He didn't think of me that way, not at all. He wanted _Rosalie_.

So I did something stupid. For the third time in my life, I chose Jacob over Edward. And this time, I'm not even sure why I did it. At least I knew that on some level, Jacob really did love me. He had hurt me in the past, but I would do everything in my power to ensure that it never happened again. If it came down to it, I would hit back. I'm just a stupid girl in her twenties, not knowing where I belong in the world. And it's terrifying.

With Jacob, I have a place. I'm a wife. I have a home and a husband and responsibilities.

My decision was a stupid one. Looking back, I would regret it. But that never really registered in my mind. I flipped on the radio and cranked the volume up before heading back into my room and getting dressed in a tee shirt and my old blue jeans. I've always been the type of girl to wear my heart on my sleeve- was that the reason things were so confusing and complicated right now?

It didn't take me long to pack up all of my clothes. After I had everything together, I hurried into the living room and powered up Edward's laptop, buying myself a ticket home. Unfortunately, the only flight for the next two days left tonight at five thirty. I would have to be gone when Edward got home. I hesitated for a long moment, but ended up buying the plane ticket.

I was going to do this. I _had _to do this. I had been given more than enough chances to tell Edward how I felt, and I hadn't. It was perfectly understandable that he had ended up falling for someone as stunning as Rosalie.

My future is just a big mystery at this point. I don't know what's coming, and I wonder if Jacob will even want me back. So I grabbed up my cell phone and dialed the number to _our _house. I paced around Edward's kitchen as the phone ring, and finally Jacob answered.

"Hello?" His voice was deep and familiar and hopeful.

"Jake." I said softly, wiping at my eyes. "I'm coming home, okay? I'll be there tonight."

There was a pause, but then Jacob spoke. "Bella, that is so amazing. I'm sorry, I really am. And I swear that I'm going to do right by you from now on. I'm never going to hurt you again."

For some reason, it was suddenly so easy to believe him. Because he loved me. "I know. Just…wait up for me, alright? I love you." I said softly, and my voice cracked. This was the right decision…it just had to be the right decision. I was finally letting go of Edward and going back to my husband. I was making things right and fair for all of us.

After getting off of the phone with Jacob, I debated on how to break the news to Edward that I would be leaving and heading back home. The only thing I could do was leave a note.

_Edward,_

_I'm so sorry to be leaving like this, while you're gone. But I have to. I haven't been fair to you or to Jacob…but I swear that if anything goes wrong, I'll call you. But I have to be a little more independent, Edward. I can never truly express how thankful I am to you for taking me in like you did, because I think you really saved me. I was about to fall apart, and spending these past few weeks with you has been so amazing. But I need to go back to my real life, Edward. I don't know who I was kidding, trying to get away from it all._

_I promise this won't be like last time- I'll call you, okay? I don't want to fall out of touch, because you're my best friend and you always have been._

_Again, thank you. For everything._

_Love, _

_Your Best Friend Bella _

I pinned the note to the fridge and glanced at the clock, realizing that I should get ready to leave in a few minutes. In a few hours, I would be back where I belonged. In my hometown, in my house, with my husband. This was the way things had worked out, and this was supposed to be for the best.

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**Don't hate Bella, okay? She's confused and conflicted, and she's mixing up what her brain is telling her and what her heart and her conscience are telling her. Next chapter will be 'Tied Together With a Smile', and it will be in EPOV. I'm pretty sure that chapter will be out sometime tomorrow, but there is a possibility it could be posted very late tonight.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	13. Tied Together With A Smile

**Yep, updating again tonight…yippee! This is another EPOV chapter. If this were BPOV it wouldn't have taken me quite so long, but as I've said, EPOV just seems like it's harder to write. But here it is! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please be a doll and review!**

**This chapter doesn't focus so much on the song…it was nearly impossible to do so, seeing as the song just repeats the same line a million times! So I just built a story line off of it and went with the flow.**

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EPOV

All day, I could focus on nothing but what Rosalie had said to me last night.

_"Well, you need to figure it out. She's crazy about you, Edward. I doubt she would want me to tell you that, but I can see that it's very true. Just make a decision, and let me know, because I'm not going to sit around and wait for you."_

Bella Swan was no longer just my childhood friend. For some reason, when I thought of her know, my heart rate would speed up and couldn't stop smiling. But it had never been this way before. Before, she had been nothing more than my best friend. I had loved her as a best friend, but it had never been anything more than that, at least not for me. So what in the world was happening?

I couldn't stop thinking about her, not for a second of my entire day. Thankfully, the surgery scheduled for the afternoon was cancelled, and I was free to go home a little before five. As I walked in the door of my apartment, however, I immediately realized that something was different. The place was eerily silent and cold. Since Bella has been here, the apartment had been loud and warm and full of life. And now…it was just _empty_. I could smell her flowery perfume as I walked through the apartment, looking around for her. She wasn't in the living room, in her bedroom, or the bathroom, so I headed into the kitchen.

Right as I walked in, my eyes zeroed in on the note that had been pinned to the front of the refrigerator., the same exact place where I had left Bella a note just this morning. I ripped the note down and read over it quickly, mouthing the words as I did so. And then as I finished reading, I dropped the note to the floor and put one hand on the counter to steady myself.

She was gone. She had gone back to Jacob. I thought…I thought that there was something there. Rosalie had brought it up, and now I couldn't stop thinking about it. I bent down and picked up the note again, running my fingers over the words that Bella had written.

_I can never truly express how thankful I am to you for taking me in like you did, because I think you really saved me. I was about to fall apart, and spending these past few weeks with you has been so amazing. _

I was a goddamn idiot. Bella loved me. Bella, my beautiful perfect Bella, had loved me, and I had been too stupid to even figure it out. Even Rosalie had seen it before I had. And now that she was gone…I was finally realizing what I truly felt the girl that had always been my best friend. I thought back, wondering if I had always known on some level.

The puzzle pieces were suddenly all clicking together, and I could hardly breathe. I sunk to my knees, clutching the note tight in my hand and trying to breath normally as I read the last few lines Bella had written to me before leaving.

_I promise this won't be like last time- I'll call you, okay? I don't want to fall out of touch, because you're my best _

_friend and you always have been.__Again, thank you. For everything._

_Love, _

_Your Best Friend Bella _

I knew what I had to do. I had to go all the way to Forks, Washington and tell Bella that I knew…and that I loved her back. I nearly collapsed again as a wave of new emotions washed over me, and I realized that Bella didn't just love me, Bella was _in love _with me, and I was in love with her. I groaned quietly to myself, wondering how I could have ever missed this. How many other things had I looked over? How many other important details had I managed to miss?

Hardly even thinking, I lunged for the phone and quickly dialed Bella's cell phone number, cursing loudly when it rang and rang and rang and voicemail never kicked in. I hung up and tossed the phone down, bolting over to my computer and going through the history. Sure enough, Bella had bought a plane ticket this afternoon. Her plane left at five thirty…I checked my watch…it was five fifteen already. There was no chance I would never be able to catch her.

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All these years…I had never realized it. Bella didn't see how beautiful she was. I had always seen it, but I had never really been affected by it. It was obvious that she was a beautiful woman, but even more so if you looked past her physical appearance. Bella walked around thinking that she wasn't pretty, but that was so far from true. I knew her, and I knew that even though her self esteem had become extremely low, she was still one of the most attractive women I had ever met.

I had never thought of her like that. Until now.

Why hadn't I seen this coming? I hadn't been enough to comfort Bella. I hadn't tried hard enough, I hadn't done enough to try and help her. She was slowly but surely losing herself without even trying to fight and I had…been clueless, with no idea what I was supposed to do to try and help her. I knew that she cried late at night and didn't tell me about it, I knew that she was hiding behind a smile…when she was really coming apart at the seams.

All Bella had wanted was love. I haven't given it to her back in high school, so she had given it all to Jacob Black, not realizing that he wasn't going to return her love in the way that he should have.

I cursed myself again, wishing that I hadn't been such a dumbass and wishing that I had just realized all of this before. I could have spared Bella and I both a lot of heartache and wondering and pain, if only I had figured things out before. I knew that I hadn't loved her in high school, so when had this feeling been born? She had only been staying with me for a couple of weeks, was it possible that I had fallen for Bella then?

It had to be. Because in all reality, Bella and I could have been together a long time ago if I had just given it a shot. Falling for her had taken mere weeks out of my life, and now the idea of us ever being together might be crushed forever, if I don't get my ass on a plane and get out to Forks.

Unfortunately, there are no more flights for tonight. Or tomorrow. Or the day after that. No more flights for two entire days…what kind of torture was this? What this some kind of sick penance? I shut my laptop and leaned forward, holding my head in my hands. What in the world was I supposed to do? Bella had gone back to her _husband_. She was married to Jacob, no matter how we may feel about each other. Am I supposed to just show up at their home and proclaim my love for her?

Sighing in frustration, I reached for my phone and dialed Rosalie's number, pacing back in forth in the living room as I waited for her to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" She answered, her voice all sweet like sugar and honey.

"Rosalie, I love Bella." I blurted out, and Rosalie was silent for a long moment. I bit my lip, realizing how blunt and rude that must have sounded to her, especially since we had been sleeping together.

Then she let out a small laugh. "It's about time you figured it out. Good for you, Edward. Have you told her yet?

It was I who paused this time, and I swallowed loudly. "Rosalie, she's…gone. She went back to her husband. I came to the apartment and she had left me a note." I cleared my throat, wiping at my eyes. "She left before I even realized it." I added, and Rosalie sighed heavily.

"Well, what are you doing sitting at home? Get off your ass and go after her!" Rosalie exclaimed, and I wondered briefly how she could be so excited about this, given what had transpired between the two of us.

"It's not that simple, Rose." I sighed. "First of all, there are no flights to Forks, well to Seattle, until two days from now. Secondly, how can I tell her how I feel after she's gone back to her husband?" Rosalie fell silent again, and then suddenly launched into a plan that, she said, would end in Bella and I's favor.

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**Yep, longer chapter again!**

**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	14. Breathe

**This chapter is going to be 'Breathe'. Thanks to all of you for understanding that I didn't make Bella leave just to be mean, and realize that Edward really didn't know that he loved Bella. The story would have no point if they just fell in love with no problems and went through life encountering no obstacles. Life isn't easy, and love certainly isn't easy either.**

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As I hailed a taxi and directed the driver to O'Hare, all I could picture in my mind was Edward's face. I had never, ever expected to be leaving him like this, and I knew that he hadn't either. I feel like I'm doing the right thing, but leaving him and letting him go after all this time is terrifying and painful. I felt like I was in some kind of cheesy romance movie; like there should be sad music playing and an audience full of crying single women. This ending between Edward and I certainly wasn't ideal.

_But it's not an ending_. I kept telling myself this, but it was becoming hard to believe know. I had written in that note that I wanted to stay in touch, but would Edward want to? I had cruelly left without even a word of goodbye, and I wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to see me again. I lost my identity a long time ago, and I think it may have been coming back to me after being with Edward again. But…I don't know who to be without him around.

This isn't simple, it is never going to be easy. I don't know how I can turn to, and I feel like I need someone to save me. But I also want to try and save myself.

As I boarded the plane, I had to hold back a sob. I knew Edward like I knew the back of my hand, and it was impossibly hard leaving him like this. Without him, I feel like I can't even breathe, but I also know that I have to. Hurting Edward is the last thing I want to do. He's my best friend in the whole world, and I've always tried to avoid fights.

The same couldn't be said for my husband. I know that I love Jacob, but lately I've been questioning if I love him enough to get through all of this. By going back, it doesn't mean that he's forgiven. It means that I'm ready to talk to him and see if this is truly what I want. Sometimes, things don't work out, and the fall out is brutal. Jacob was my first in so many things, and it would certainly hurt if our marriage ended, but it also hurt to tell Edward goodbye.

Thanks to a major layover in my flight when we stopped to change planes in Minnesota, it was two in the morning when I finally got to the Seattle airport. I had cried almost the whole plane ride, and everyone had stayed away from me. I felt like I had lost a friend, and that feeling was overwhelming. As I walked off the plane, I pulled out my cell phone and texted Edward, even though I felt like I shouldn't.

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Edward._

And then I turned my phone off and shoved in my pocket, scanning the nearly empty airport for my husband.

When I finally spotted him, an overwhelming sense of familiarity and relief washed over me. We saw each other at the same time, and I slowly started walking towards him as he did the same. The second before we approached each other, I gave him a quick once over. He looked tired. Worried. Relieved. He was still wearing his wedding band, just like I was.

"Hi." I breathed out, and gave him a big hug. "It's…good to see you." I murmured into his chest, relishing his warmth and comfort.

"You too." Jacob said softly, running his hands through my hair as we continued to hold on to each other. "Are you ready to go home?" He asked, and I looked up at him, meeting his eyes.

"Yes. But Jake, just because I'm coming home doesn't mean that I'm ready to forgive you. It just means that I'm finally ready to talk to you again. When I left…I didn't even want to look at you anymore. But we can talk and try and figure some things out." I said, and Jacob nodded his head in understanding.

We walked out of the airport holding hands, and got in the car without saying much of anything to each other. Eventually, Jacob broke the awkward silence. "So…where were you?" he asked curiously. "The flight was from Chicago to Minneapolis to Seattle?"

"Yes. I was in Seattle. With Edward." I explained, and Jacob sucked in a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel tighter in his hands. "He moved there a couple of years ago…I called him and he offered me his spare room. It was really nice, getting to see my best friend again." I elaborated, but I could tell that Jacob was jealous. As he had every right to be…I wouldn't be surprised if Jacob knew of my feelings for Edward, at least on some level. "He has a girlfriend." I added softly, playing absentmindedly with my wedding band.

Jacob nodded, but then quickly changed the subject. "I'll stay on the couch when we get home, if you want." He offered, and I thought for a moment.

"Okay. Thank you." I murmured, and he actually looked a little surprised. Did he really think I would want him to be in the same bed with me right now? I wasn't even sure if we would be able to talk things out. "I'm going to have to sleep in tomorrow." I said conversationally. "But I could make us a nice lunch and then we could start talking things over." I suggested, not looking at him.

"That sounds fine." He said a little stiffly, and we were silent for the rest of the drive home to our house in Forks.

As we pulled into the driveway, I sighed. This was all so reminiscent. This was _our _house, and it would always be _our _house, at least to me. We walked inside and Jacob put my one bag up in our bedroom, and then let me use the bathroom to get ready for bed first. After getting my teeth brushed and changing my clothes, I went downstairs and told him that the bathroom was all his.

While he used our master bathroom, I crawled into bed and picked up a book that I had left on the nightstand before I had left. Even though it was nearly dawn, I wanted to say goodnight before I feel asleep. I had only gotten several pages into the book before the door to the bathroom opened and Jacob appeared, wearing flannel sleep pants and nothing else. His short hair was deliciously mussed, and when I met his eyes, I felt like I was falling apart.

I don't know why, but I started crying. Jacob sat cross legged on the bed next to me, holding me as I cried pathetically, not knowing why.

I made a mistake that night, a big mistake.

Before even talking about our relationship, I let my husband back into my bed, and I let him make love to me. Because I needed it. I needed _love_, even if it was with Jacob.

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**Don't hate on Bella, okay? Things are going to work out if you have a little patience with everything.**

**Next chapter will be 'A Perfectly Good Heart', and it will be in EPOV.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	15. Beautiful Eyes

**Please note that this chapter starts out in BPOV with no accompanying song, but then switches to EPOV with 'Beautiful Eyes'. It was originally going to be 'A Perfectly Good Heart', but I changed it.**

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It shouldn't feel so wrong to wake up naked in my husband's arms…but it did. I knew Jacob was awake as well, but neither of us spoke for a long time. Eventually, Jacob leaned over and kissed me softly and tenderly, and there was just nothing there. No spark, no lightning bolt…no true desire. Jacob must have felt it too, because he pulled away from me and flopped back on his pillow, running his hand through his short hair.

"What's wrong with us?" Jacob asked, and I started crying silently, clutching to his chest in desperation. He held onto me and kissed my forehead, but didn't say anything else. "I think we may be kidding ourselves here. We need to talk."

"I know." I said simply, and we both sat up in bed, holding the sheets around our bodies and not even able to look at each other.

EPOV

"Thank you." I said softly to Rosalie, bringing my hand up to softly stroke her cheek. "This means so much to me…but I don't really understand. After what we…uh, after we fooled around and everything, why do you want me to go after Bella?"

Rosalie snapped her gum noisily and rubbed my arm, her violet blue eyes squinted slightly. "Edward, look, I really did like you, but I was not in love with you, just like you weren't in love with me. I can see that you love this girl, okay? What good would it do me to hold you back?" She explained everything so simply, it was just very clear. I speak, but pulled her into a big hug and kissed her temple.

"Thanks." I said again, and then looked up at the plane. "Now do you mind telling me why in the hell you have access to a private plane?"

"It's not mine." She said vaguely, and I raised my eyebrows at her. "I have a friend who rents the plane…this just happened to be his week to have it."

I chuckled and kept my arm around her waist, smiling at her. "Your 'friend', huh?" Rosalie laughed too, but swatted my arm.

"Emmet." She said softly, and I nodded my head. I knew that although Emmet was a good doctor by his own merit, his parents were both well known doctors and had a lot of money to spend, which must have led to the shares in the private plane. And based on the way Rosalie had just said his name, I wouldn't doubt if there was something more serious brewing between the two of them. "Hey, you better get going." She said, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss my forehead. "Good luck, okay? Let me know how it all goes."

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I sat on the plane and could think of nothing but Bella. I would close my eyes and I could see nothing but Bella's beautiful brown eyes, staring straight into mine. I hated how long it had taken me to realize things, and now I was stuck trying to catch her in time before she went back to her husband for good. But what would I say to her?

I know you love me, and I love you too. I'm sorry. You're the most beautiful woman in the world. Leave your husband to be with me.

Wincing slightly, I thought of what would happen if Bella rejected me. She had gone back to Jacob for a reason…but what? Did she decide that it was him she really wanted? Or did she just give up on me and settle for him? I prayed for the latter, knowing that I didn't want to come between Bella and her husband. I wasn't going to give her an ultimatum, I was going to let her chose by her free will and on her terms.

Now, I would settle to just be where she was.

The plane would land in Port Angeles, and then my younger sister Alice would pick me up and take me to the house where she lived with our parents. My beautiful little sister was thrilled to hear that I was coming, and I was truthfully very anxious to see her. It had been a year since I have seen any of my family, actually. And although they drove me crazy most of the time, Esme and Carlisle and Alice were still…_my family_.

And Bella had been my family for a long time. Even before her father died when we were seventeen and she moved into our home. It was even before we were teenagers. In all reality, Bella had become a part of our family right when the two of us became best friends, back when we were just little kids. Even then, I had felt this inexplicable pull towards Bella. For so long, it had just been a feeling of intense friendship. And suddenly, it was all alarming different; the feelings I was feeling for her and only her.

At some point, I managed to fall asleep, if only for several minutes. But as I slept, I dreamt of nothing but Bella.

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"Edward!" I heard my younger sister squeal and closed my eyes briefly, and when I opened them Alice was hurtling towards me, her arms outstretched. "I've missed you!" She shrieked, hugging me tightly and not letting go. "Really, you need to come home more often. You know how mom hates flying, so we never get to see you, and ugh I just miss you so much!"

I laughed and kissed the top of her head before wrapping my arms around her as well and squeezing her back just as tightly. "I've missed you too, Alice." I assured her, and we stood like that in our warm embrace for several more moments before we eventually broke apart and headed for Alice's car.

Alice had always been very intuitive, so I was guessing she knew exactly why I was here. "Bella Black, huh?" She asked in a small voice, and I tensed slightly. "Bella has always been your best friend, Edward. I love the idea of you twp being together, but why now? Why wait until she's married with her own life?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed, wondering how I was ever going to explain this when I didn't even fully understand the whole situation myself. "I didn't know." I finally mumbled. "I had no idea…until I noticed that she was gone. And I read her note…and I knew that I loved her more than anything." Just then, my phone buzzed. I took it out quickly, seeing that I had a new text message from _Bella_. My heart nearly stopped as I quickly opened the text message and scanned over the words.

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Edward._

What the hell did that even mean? What was she doing up at two in the morning? Did this mean she had left her husband? Or that she was going back to him for good? Or was this simply her feeling guilty and unable to sleep without apologizing again. 

"Was that from Bella?" Alice suddenly asked, pulling me from my train of thought.

"Yes." I murmured, sliding the phone back into my pocket and staring out the windshield and towards the expanse of road before us.

Alice nodded her head, and I saw her bite her bottom lip, just like Bella would do.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, and I just shrugged my shoulders. Because I was truly asking myself that same exact question.

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**So…what do you think? Please review! I had previously wanted to get this chapter up much earlier tonight, but EPOV was really kicking my ass and I was kind of having a hard time with it. Oh well, there it was, I got it all done.**

**Next chapter will be 'You're Not Sorry', told in BPOV.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	16. You're Not Sorry

**I am an updating machine this weekend!**

**Tomorrow, of course, is the great Casimir Pulaski day and I get the day off. Oh how I love the Poles for this glorious holiday! **

**P.S. Casimir Pulaski day is to celebrate a Revolutionary War Calvary officer.**

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Jacob and I sat at our kitchen table, looking at our cups of coffee inside of at each other. In all reality, I had wasted so much time on Jacob, and I had given him so many chances, only to be let down over and over again. I shouldn't have even tried to fool myself for all those years; it was obvious that Jacob and I really didn't belong together. He had hurt me, hit me, and I just kept hoping that he would eventually come around.

It may have taken me this long, but I've finally gotten here, to the point in which I am ready to leave my husband. Jacob had thought we could be fine again, but he was wrong. I don't know why I slept with him, I really don't. It came down to just wanting love, and seeking it from my husband. But now, I just want to stop hurting. That means getting away from Jacob for good, and maybe even getting away from Edward for a little while. That's going to hurt, but if it needs to be done…I'll have to do it. I don't _want_ to, but I want to stop kidding myself.

"I'm sorry." Jacob said suddenly, and I shook my head.

"No you're not. You're really not." I softly, looking into his eyes and smiling sadly. "This is it, Jacob. It's not just your fault, I share at least some of the blame. This is just over, okay? I'm sorry that I don't believe you when you say you're sorry, but I think I know a little better at this point. I can't just forgive you like I did before."

Jacob pursed his lips and looked at me, his brown eyes wide and innocent and so familiar. If I didn't know the truth, I could believe him. But I had fallen for his lies so many times before. "I know." He said simply. "Bella…you should just hate me. You don't even have to pretend to be nice to me anymore. Our marriage is over, and you definitely don't owe me anything."

I looked at him for a long moment, and then took a small sip of my coffee. "I could have loved you all my life." I said softly. "If you hadn't…done all of that so early on." Jacob bit his lip and nodded, although I could see the pain in his eyes. "Jake, I was tired of being shut out and torn down. You would ask me to listen to you, and sometimes I just couldn't do it. I'm going to miss you, but this is what we need to do."

"So…where are you going to go now?" Jacob asked uncomfortably, gazing out the window and into the backyard. "Back to Chicago?"

I shrugged my shoulders, taking another big gulp of my coffee. "I don't think so. It's time for me to give up on certain things." I said carefully, and then I knew that Jacob could tell how I felt about Edward thanks to the look in his eyes.

"Does he love you too?" Jacob asked me, and I swallowed nervously.

"I don't think so." I said honestly. "He doesn't even know…I've kind of given up on the whole thing. There's really no use in me pestering him about it."

Jacob sighed and pushed his chair back and stood up from the table. "Do you want the house?" He asked abruptly, and I paused for a moment before shaking my head. "I guess I'll just get us a lawyer. If we can just figure things out between the two of us, we won't need separate lawyers."

"Yeah, okay. Thank you." I said, surprised at how Jacob was taking the whole situation. He obviously understood that I wasn't taking no for an answer. He knew that things were over now, for good. At least Jacob understood that and I didn't have to fight him on it.

I was finally done with this whole thing, and apparently he was too. I had fallen for Jacob so hard, I hadn't even thought it over. He said he loved me, and that had been all I wanted at the time, and I thought it was what I could settle for. But it wasn't, not even close. Maybe if he hadn't hit me, we would still be together. He used to be so sweet and beautiful and he could shine brighter than the sun…

But that was before everything had faded away.

-----

I figured that a good thing to do while I was in Forks was to visit the Cullen's. Carlisle and Esme had taken me in when my father had died, and for that I was eternally grateful. Carlisle and my father had been good friends, and Esme and my mother had been inseparable before her death. I didn't know if they knew I had been staying with Edward, but I wasn't going to bring it up. I hadn't seen much of them during my marriage, because I had kind of been isolated in my own little world.

I had only been in Forks for twelve hours before I climbed into my car, which I had left here several weeks ago, and drove to the Cullen's house on the outskirts of town.

While Edward and I had always been best friends, I had also been rather close to his sister Alice. She still lived at home, but had converted the rooms above the five car garage into her own personalized apartment with its own kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. I knew Alice would probably be home, and I was excited to see her. We had spoken for about a year, when we had run into each other at the diner in Forks and had ended up eating lunch together. I remembered that day vividly…Jacob had hit me and I had run off to the diner so that I wouldn't cry in front of him.

When I pulled up to the big white house, Alice's yellow Porsche was parked in the driveway, as well as Carlisle's black Mercedes and Esme's red Audi. I honestly didn't understand why they never parked their cars in the garage, but I didn't dwell on it. I parked my car and walked up to the door, knocking twice and taking a step back.

The door swung open and Esme stood there in front of me, a huge smile on her face. "Bella!" She cried, practically pulling me across the threshold and into her arms. "Oh Bella, I've missed you so much!" She said, kissing my cheeks and then looking me up and down.

"I've missed you too." I laughed. "Sorry I didn't call before coming over. Are you busy?" I asked, hearing voices coming from the kitchen.

"Oh, no." Esme said with a wave of her small hand. "We're just having a little family time. And you're family, Bella. You know that. Come on into the kitchen, I have cookies."

I laughed again and followed her into the kitchen. "That sounds great." I said earnestly, but when I stepped into the kitchen I froze.

Standing there at the counter, talking with Alice and Carlisle, was Edward.

**-----**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter will be…well, I'm not quite sure yet. You'll find out tomorrow or Tuesday.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	17. Breathless

**To thank you for all the reviews and support, I finished this chapter up very quickly because I knew that you have all been waiting for this part of the story. I know that you're going to be pretty happy at the end of this chapter!**

**  
Oh, and this chapter is 'Breathless', in Edward's Point of View.**

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EPOV

I was talking to my mother, my father, and Alice when the doorbell suddenly rang. I had not yet decided what I was going to say to Bella or how I was going to do it, because I was truly clueless. I had come here to Washington spur of the moment, and now I was in a rut of what to do. My mother went to open the door, and I continue to laugh and eat with my father and my sister.

Several minutes passed, and then my mother reappeared in the kitchen. And Bella was right behind her. She saw me in the same moment that I saw her, and both our mouths dropped open slightly. Bella immediately flushed, and I felt a rush of love and longing sweep through me. Nobody spoke as Bella and I continued to stare at each other, absolutely transfixed.

She was here, standing before me, and I honestly could see nothing but her. Bella looked a little worn down, but she was still insanely beautiful. How had I ever overlooked this? She was fresh from a war, back from the edge of time, and striped to the bone, and she was still the most beautiful and perfect woman on the planet. I wanted to comfort her, now that her world was crashing down around her. I wanted Bella to come to me and _want_ me to take me in her arms and take care of her.

I would never judge her, only love her with everything I could.

Suddenly, the silence was broken and Bella ran towards me, throwing her arms around me and hugging me tightly. She was out of breath as he buried her head into my chest, and when she looked up at me with her beautiful brown eyes, I felt like I was completely losing control.

When she looked at me like that, I knew that there was only one thing to do. I kissed her. It wasn't extremely deep or unchaste, but it was intense and passionate nonetheless, and it was more perfect than I would have ever imagined. Our lips moved together and Bella's hands tangled in my hair as I clung to her and dug my fingers into the insanely soft skin of her waist. When we eventually broke apart, my family members had left to give us some privacy and Bella and I were left alone.

"Hi." I whispered to her, keeping my arms around her and I stoked her cheek with the back of my hand.

"Hi yourself." Bella said, a blush heating her face. "I…what…" She cleared her throat, and then squinted up at me. "What are you doing here?" She asked, and I held her tighter.

"I couldn't believe that you had left." I said honestly, twisting my fingers through her long brown hair. "I didn't know what to do, I was so confused about what I was feeling…and then I realized that I didn't want you to leave. Ever."

Bella stared at me, her eyes bright and enthusiastic. "I didn't want to leave, but I thought I had to. I didn't think…Edward, I've been crazy about you for the longest time, and I thought that you felt nothing for me, at least not in the way that I feel for you." I shook my head and kissed her again, chastely on the lips.

"I didn't even know how I felt until you left." I admitted, and Bella took a deep breath.

"Edward, I love you." She said honestly, and I stared down at her, stunned. I had a feeling that it was true, but I didn't expected her to say it straight out in the open. But I was so relieved that she was letting go and admitting everything to me. I wanted to take care of her, and I wanted her to know that. Her heart was precious, and it had been hurt and scared and broken and taken advantage of before. I wasn't going to do that to her, not ever. Bella had made it through a lot, and I wasn't going to although this to happen again. She was a survivor, she had made it through a lot in her relationship with Jacob.

I wondered if she knew that I loved her too, or if she just thought I cared for her. So I told her. "I love you too." I whispered in her ear, leaning over Bella and running my nose across her jaw line. Bella looked up at me and there were tears in her eyes, but she was grinning widely. "I'm really glad to see you smiling. You are so beautiful when you smile, I wish you would do it more often. I like when you laugh, too. I love it, actually." I was telling Bella the truth now, and it felt amazing. "Tell me that you're not going to leave me again." I whispered, and Bella nodded her head.

"I'm not going to leave again." She promised, kissing me again and squeezing me tightly as we continued to hold onto each other. "I can't believe you're here." Bella murmured, and her smile was so beautiful in that moment. I hadn't seen her smile like that since we were teenagers.

"I wasn't about to let you go back to him, Bella. At least not without you knowing how I truly feel." I said, still relishing the feeling of her in my arms.

Bella sighed and leaned her head into my chest, taking deep breaths and looking more content that she had for a long time. "Jacob and I are getting divorced. We talked about it earlier today, and it's decided. I'm all yours now, Edward. I've been yours for a long time, really."

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**A bit short, but come on…it's still worth it, right? I mean, they finally did it! There are several chapters left and they are going to be quite fluffy and full of love!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	18. I'm Only Me When I'm With You

**Sorry for an itty bitty delay, but fanfic wouldn't let me update last night or this morning so…yeah. This chapter is 'I'm Only Me When I'm With You', and is throw BPOV.**

**Enjoy!**

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Not long after Edward and I's embrace, Alice popped back into the room, her face expectant and her eyes wide and excited. "Hey, guys." She said slyly, and I blushed, burying my head in Edward's chest, breathing in his familiar scent. A feeling of ecstasy raced through my body, and I couldn't believe it. We had done it. Our true feelings had been revealed, and I don't remember ever feeling as good as I do right now.

"Come on, Bella. Let's go for a drive." Edward said, taking my hand and starting to head out of the kitchen. Alice elbowed him the ribs as he paced, widening her eyes even further, but Edward ignored her and we continued out to the car. As soon as we were both buckled in, Edward's lips were on mine again, sweet and soft and persistent. "Let's go to the meadow." He suggested as we broke apart. I nodded my head, eagerly out of breath thanks to his kisses. The meadow was a place we had discovered when we were ten years old, and we had always gone there when we just wanted to be alone.

As he drove, I lost myself in thought. Only twenty four hours ago, I had given up all hope. I continued to think aimlessly, and suddenly a frightful thought hit me. I had slept with Jacob last night. Sure, it hadn't been very special or pleasurable for _me_, but it had still happened, and I knew that I would have to tell Edward about it. I didn't want to, without a doubt. Who wanted to confess something like that to their boyfriend (was that what Edward was?) only hours after professing our love?

Not sure how to bring the issue up, I took a deep breath and started playing with my fingers, and Edward noticed my sudden awkwardness. "Is something wrong?" He asked, swallowing thickly.

"No, not really…" I murmured. "But I do have to tell you something, and I don't want you to overact." Edward glanced at me quickly, his eyes suddenly dark and troubled. "Last night, well, this morning, Jacob took me home from the airport and…" I hesitated, not wanting to say what I knew I had to. "We had sex." I whispered, and Edward's grip on the suddenly tightened on the steering wheel. "Listen to me." I said quickly. "I was scared, and vulnerable, and I sure as hell didn't enjoy it. I was looking for love, Edward, and I thought that you…I thought that you didn't love me." I admitted, and Edward relaxed slightly. "I really didn't want it to happen." I added. "Jacob…I don't want him, not at all. I want _you_ in every imaginable way."

Edward glanced at me, his eyes still dark. "I slept with Rosalie." He said, and I clenched my teeth. "I'm trying to tell you that I understand, Bella. I don't love Rosalie, not at all. I love you. Jacob is your husband-"

"Ex." I corrected him, but Edward pressed on.

"I know that you don't love him anymore, Bella. I just want you to be mine." Edward stressed, and I understood. "That part of our lives- the part where you were married to Jacob and I was with Rosalie- is over for good. Now, it's just me and you, like it's always supposed to have been…I can't believe that I didn't understand it earlier, and I'm sorry I didn't. You make me happy." Edward said, just as he pulled the car over to the side of the road, where we would need to get out and walk the rest of the way. "Come on." Edward murmured, getting out of the car.

He made it over to my side of the car before I was even unbuckled and held my door open, offering me his hand. I took it and nearly giggled at the feeling of his hand holding mine. "I love you." I whispered as we walked up the trail, and Edward grinned as I said those three words.

"I love you too." Edward said, and then brought my palm up to his lips, kissing my skin softly. "Come on, we need to move faster." He said, glancing up at the sky.

It only took about an hour to walk to our meadow, but I was exhausted and trudging behind halfway through. Unlike Edward, I was thin only to a good metabolism; I definitely didn't work out like he did. Edward must have noticed, because he slowed down, giving me a chance to catch my breath. "You okay?" He asked, and I nodded, trying to gain control of my unsteady breathing.

"Yeah, yeah." I assured him. "It's just been a long time since I've been on terrain like this-"

Before I could protest, Edward scooped me up and slung me across his back. "Wrap your legs around my waist." He instructed, and I did so, smiling as he hitched his arms underneath my knees and I put my arms around his neck. "There you go." He said, and easily carried me on his back. "Geez you're light, Bella. We need to get some of Esme's cooking into you." He teased, and I nipped at his ear with my teeth, giggling.

"Hush." I instructed, and continued to nip and kiss at his neck, thoroughly distracting him.

"Bella, I'm going to drop you if you don't stop that." Edward warned, but I didn't care.

By the time we got to the meadow, it was dark and everything was peaceful and quiet. Edward gently sat me down in the grass, and sprawled out next to me. "Mmm…look at the stars." I whispered, finding his hand and holding it tightly in my own. "I see…a bunny." I said, pointing up at the dark sky and painting pictures with my index finger. Edward started to chuckle and I leaned over, putting my chin on his chest. "Come on, Cullen. What do you see?" I persisted, and Edward rolled his eyes, but then tilted his head back as well.

He took my hand and gripped my finger gently, tracing out a shape in the sky with both our hands. "It's a duck." Edward explained, and I burst out laughing, unable to stop.

"A _duck_?" I asked, tilting my head up and looking at the stars. "How do the stars form a duck?"

"I don't know, how do they form a goddamn bunny?" Edward said, but he was laughing as well. It took a while to compose ourselves, and then we were quiet for a little bit, not saying a thing and just listening to the crickets chirp. And I was so content, because everything I need is right here at my side. I knew everything about Edward, and I don't want to live without him.

When he's happy, I'm happy. When he's sad, I'm sad for him. That's how it has always worked, and I love it. No matter what I do, it's affected by him in some way. Half time, Edward had driven me crazy by not realizing the obvious. But the rest of the time…I was just trying to get him to realize it. Edward and I weren't anything special, just a small town boy and girl from Forks, Washington. But we knew that all along, we were living in a downright crazy world. Things that weren't suppose to happen had, and things that were supposed to happen hadn't…until now.

It's such a relief to not have to hide my tears or my fear or my secrets anymore. Jacob hated when I was 'overly emotional'. Nobody understands me like Edward does, no one knows me like he does. And I can just hope that he can't live without me either.

I sighed again and buried my face in the crook of Edward's neck, and his hands immediately went to my hair. "You're the only person I feel like I can really be myself with." I said in a soft voice, and Edward's grip tightened slightly. "It's hard with anyone else." Edward cleared his throat and leaned his head to kiss my forehead.

"I know what you mean. Bella, I'm only _me_ when I'm with you."

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**Fluff, fluff, fluff. Next chapter will be…**

'**Today Was A Fairytale', BPOV. I hope to get it done in time to post tomorrow night, but I can give no promises.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	19. Today Was A Fairytale

**Delay, but I had a hard time getting his chapter done. Originally it was going to contain a lemon, but it just didn't happen. On the plus side, I did finish my story 'Painted' with twenty six chapters and the possibility of a sequel.**

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Edward kissed my neck lovingly and then started up the car, and I continued to stare at him as we drove back towards his parent's house. "I think I owe you a date." He murmured suddenly, glancing at me. The look on his face was so genuine, I had to laugh.

"You don't owe me anything." I corrected him, but Edward persisted.

"No, we'll go out. I'll pick you up at six tomorrow morning, and that's final."

My jaw dropped, and I sat up straight. "Okay, first of all, six in the _morning_? And secondly…where are you going to pick me up from? Your room?" After telling Esme about everything that had happened these last few weeks, she had insisted that I stay with them for the rest of the week, and then I would return to Chicago with Edward. In some respects, I was terrified that things were moving way too fast. Edward and I had just gotten together…and I was scared to be living with him so soon. What if he got sick of me? Where would I go?

"Yes. I'll knock on the door at six o'clock sharp." Edward said firmly, putting an end to things.

"Fine." I said, smiling and slipping my hand onto his lap. "What should I where?"

Edward furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. "Nothing to fancy. I'm just going to wear jeans." He said, and I nodded my head. "How are you doing, Bella?" Edward asked me, his voice suddenly very serious.

I hesitated, looking down at my lap. "I'm okay." I finally said. "On some level, I just can't believe that my marriage is _over_. But I know that I was basically just cheating Jacob, and I was cheating myself. I wish I had found the courage to turn him down in high school and to tell you what I was feeling, but all that time I was writing my feelings for you off as just a crush. I do feel bad, though. I should never have stayed with Jacob so long, especially after the first…um, the first time he got mad." I said, feeling like I was rambling.

"I'm never going to touch you like that, Bella. I'm not going to hurt you." He said in a grave voice. "It would be impossible for me to hurt you like he did…I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I don't know how in the hell he looked at you every day and continued to do that." Edward growled, and I watched as his hands tightened around the steering wheel.

Reaching out, I rubbed my hand over his thigh and tried to calm him down. "Edward, it's all over. He's part of the past. He called a lawyer, and we filed for divorce. We don't have any kids, and we didn't even have a joint back account. I don't want _anything _of his. I want only my things."

Edward nodded, relaxing visibly. "I really do love you, Bella. I'm sorry for being an ass and not realizing it sooner. Bella, you're so beautiful and perfect."

His kind words made my heart thump and my face light up. It had been a long time since Jacob had said anything so sweet to me. Actually, he had never said anything as sweet as the things Edward had said to me, just in the past day. It floored me for a minute, realizing that Edward and I had only been a couple for _one day._ But it felt like we had been together since we were teenagers, when I had really been with Jacob all that time. It was wasted time, in my mind.

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Sure enough, the next morning at six sharp, there was a knock on Edward's bedroom door. We had slept in the same bed, but there had been no…funny business. We had talked about it, and had said that we would just let things happen when they happened. After brushing my hair quickly and putting it in a ponytail, I opened the door slightly and leaned against the doorframe, smiling at Edward shyly. "You're right on time." I said teasingly, and Edward grinned at me.

He was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and a grey v-neck tee shirt, and he looked gorgeous. "I wonder why." He teased right back, looking me up and down. "You look beautiful, Bella." Edward said sweetly, and I looked down at my outfit. Edward had said 'casual', so I was wearing a dark blue sundress with small white polka dots, and a pair of silver sandals.

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." I said, and took his hand. We walked down the stairs quietly, not wanting to disturb Carlisle and Esme. After grabbing two apples from the kitchen and handing me one, Edward grabbed his keys and ushered my out to the car. "Are you going to tell me where we're headed so early in the morning?" I asked curiously as Edward started up the car.

"Hmm…I guess you can know." Edward said with an exaggerated sigh. "We're going to the fair." He said, and I grinned. He had remembered.

When we were growing up, I had absolutely adored the fair. It would be in town for a few weeks every year, and when we were younger, I would drag him there every single day. But when I had started dating Jacob, we had stopped going together. We were both pretty quiet on the drive over, but when Edward parked the car, I leaned over and planted a firm kiss on his lips. "Thank you, Edward. I really…this means a lot to me." I said, kissing him once more.

We kissed for several minutes, my hands threading in his soft hair. Eventually we pulled apart, and Edward smiled at me lazily. "Let's get going." He said, and then got out of the car, held my door open, and helped me out of the car.

That day was totally amazing. It was the best date that I could ever imagine. We spent most of the time walking around hand in hand, rehashing old memories and talking about our friendship and new relationship. The rides didn't open until around eight, so we got plenty of time to talk and visit and steal kisses. Edward was like my prince, and he was keeping me from being a damsel in distress. When he held my hand, I felt like I was unbreakable and invincible.

The first ride we rode was my personal favorite, the tilt-a-whirl. As the ride went, all of my hair slipped out of my ponytail and the wind made my cheeks all red. But as we got off, Edward still looked at me with the same beautiful look in his eyes. "You're so pretty." He said softly, leaning over and kissing me on the lips.

And I loved that, how he always told me I was pretty even when I knew that I looked like a complete mess. He cared about my feelings, and that was new for me in a relationship. Being with Edward made me realize just how bad things had been with Jacob. He hadn't cared about my feelings or my hopes or my dreams, especially towards the end of things.

Because as I stood here with Edward, it was like time was slowing down around us. I could be with him for the rest of my life, and I would be totally happy and content. There was magic in the air, and the way he kissed me made me realize just how much I loved him.

I fell in love with him even more with every wonderful memory he brought up. We had a past, and it really had been beautiful. His smile could fly me to the moon, and every move he made and every word he spoke seemed right. Edward was making things so much clearer in my life, and nothing made since until the time I saw his face.

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**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	20. Two is Better than One

**So, um, hi…I didn't realize that I was so far behind in updating this story, I apologize! You know when every single thing in your life starts piling up and you feel like your suffocating? Yeah, well, that's what has been going on here. I actually have three new stories, 'Divine Mercy' which is a story about a Catholic Bella and Edward and the consequences of adultery, 'Eye of the Beholder' is a story about pregnant Bella and her famous baby-daddy, and 'Love You Forever' is the sequel to 'Painted' and just continues on with that story. If you've got spare time on your hands after reading this chapter, it would be so, so appreciated if you could pop on over to one of those stories and take a look.**

**The song for this chapter is 'Two Is Better Than One' by Boys like Girls feat. Taylor Swift.**

**This chapter contains mature content, but it really isn't a lemon. This is an intense, fluffy, love filled chapter. It's not graphic and sexy and dirty. It's love…to the extreme.**

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It was so odd, walking back into Edward's apartment in Chicago nearly two months later. All during our time together in Forks, I had really tried to focus on the present and not worry about our future, at least not for the time being. But walking in the door, I was overwhelmed. It had only been a few weeks, and my entire life had changed. Now, I didn't have to feel afraid or unsure, because Edward was with me every step of the way. He made me feel like a better person, and I really was better when it was the two of us instead of just me.

"Welcome home." Edward whispered in my ear, and I jumped slightly. But I relaxed immediately as his strong, comforting arms wrapped around my waist as he stood behind me, engulfing me in a hug.

"That sounds really good to me." I said softly, looking around the apartment. It hadn't changed at all, but Edward and I sure had. Everything that Edward did, every single word that he said, took my breath away, leaving me with nothing else to give but my heart. And that's how I know that I can't live without him. "I still cannot believe that this is all real and not a dream." I laughed softly, tilting my head back to look Edward in the eye. He looked just as peaceful as I felt. "Thank you for making me a part of your life." I said in a low whisper, and Edward shook his head.

He turned me around so that we were facing each other, and then placed a soft, tender kiss on my nose. "Thank you for agreeing to be a part of my life. I've got so much time to figure out the rest of my life, but I don't think I would have made it much longer without you. I was slowly but surely coming undone." Edward's voice was slightly comical, but I knew that he was being completely serious with me despite that. "I know every single expression that you make…I love the way you roll your eyes," he gently swept his index finger across my eyelid, "the way," he kissed me gently and then pulled away, smiling, "that you taste." Edward inhaled deeply, leaning down and burying his face into the crook my neck. "It's hard to breathe when I'm away from you now. The relationship…the _chemistry _between us is getting to be too much, almost too much to handle.

"I like our chemistry." I said softly, and Edward chuckled, kissing at my neck. My heartbeat picked up and I knew that he could feel it under his lips. "When I'm upset our sad I can just close my eyes and drift away…and I automatically think of you, and then I finally realize that this isn't just an amazing dream. I've got you." Edward nodded in agreement, and I flushed red when I realized that he was walking me backwards towards his bedroom. "Are you sure?" I asked as we stopped in the doorway, and Edward nodded again, nudging the door close and nudging me inside.

Once we were in his dark bedroom, our lips met passionately, and my hands tangled themselves in Edward's soft hair. "I want you, I love you." I whispered to Edward, thrilled that this moment was finally happening. The two months we had spent with Edward's family in Forks had been wonderful and refreshing, but I was so thankful to finally have Edward all to myself for a change. We had been holding off from having sex until the moment was right, and I knew in my heart that this was it.

"This is okay with you, right?" Edward asked, breathing heavily as he pulled back from me slightly. I nodded feverishly, yanking his face back towards mine so that I could continue to kiss him. "Good." Edward whispered as his long fingers traced trails of fire up and down my body. I barely noticed as Edward gently removed my shirt, tossing it to the floor.

Usually, I was not comfortable with my body. I wasn't fat by any means, but that didn't mean I didn't have some flaws and insecurities. But the way that Edward was looking at me right now completely changed my view on myself. The intensity and love that his stare held made me love and want him even more than I already did. That was the thing about Edward…he showed me how much he loved me in the smallest of gestures. I knew how he felt about me just through a lust-filled look.

"I love you." I whispered one more time as we shed the rest of our clothes and Edward led me over to bed. He laid me down gently, kissing me as he did so, confessing his love at the same time. It was so beautiful and wonderful that it actually brought tears to my eyes. Edward lovingly kissed them away as they escaped down my cheek, showing me how much he cared for me yet again.

The feeling of finally being with him intimately was indescribable. I had never felt so loved, cherished, adored, complete, or satisfied in my entire life. I knew that Edward loved me as much as I loved him, but when our bodies joined together the feeling was somehow intensified by a million. When it is all said in done, I am so much better with him by my side, and two is better than one.

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**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	21. Author's Note

**Hi, everyone. So this isn't Mellie, it's her friend Keely. At 12:54 am central time, Mellie gave birth to a **_**beautiful**_** little girl after going into labor yesterday after (about ten days early). Mother and daughter are both doing great, and Mellie just wanted to let everyone know that everything is good and that she hopes to update again soon. Also, thank you for all the kind wishes throughout her entire pregnancy, I know that it meant a lot to her and Jensen. Like I said, the baby is a girl and weighed in at six pounds three ounces and is named Blakely Olivia Anderson. **

**Again, thanks for all the kind words and support. **

**Mellie says that she wants to try and update this weekend, but obviously she might not be able to. I'll probably type it up for her, and she says the next one she wants to update is either 'Commander in Chief' or 'Eye of the Beholder'. **

**Xoxo- Mellie, Jensen, Blakely and Keely.**


	22. Mary's Song

**If anyone is still out there reading this…thank you. I had no idea so much time had passed…again. So I apologize, but there's nothing I can really do to change that. This is the final chapter, and it is based on the Taylor Swift song 'Mary's Song (oh my my)'. I hope you enjoy, and please review!**

…

"Are you ready?" Alice's sweet voice pierced through my thoughts, and I looked up at her anxiously.

"Yes." I said, biting my lip. "But I'm still nervous." I admitted, looking back at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was swept up into a loose bun and my veil fell to the small of my back. My dress, the dress that I had fallen in love with at the dress ship, clung to my curves but fell delicately around my body, skimming the ground even though I was wearing high heels.

"Oh. Do you…um, do you want me to go get my mom?" She asked, and I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

Alice disappeared, closing the door behind her. I breathed deeply, looking at my reflection in the mirror again. It had been two years. Two years since my divorce was finalized, two years since Edward and I became a real, official couple. And now here we were, and it was our wedding day. And I was nervous and scared to death and anxious.

I knew that Edward was nothing like Jacob, not at all. But the small, irrational, stupid part of my brain was still scared that history would repeat itself. I wanted to marry Edward, and I had since he proposed to me eight months ago. But now, getting ready and seeing myself in a wedding dress…all I could think about was how my first marriage had failed so terribly and painfully.

I continued to look in the mirror until the door opened again, and Esme walked in. "Honey, what's wrong?" She asked, walking up behind me and fixing the back of my veil.

"Oh, Esme, I'm just scared." I whispered, looking over my shoulder at her. "I know Edward will never, ever voluntarily hurt me. But there was also a time when I thought Jacob would never hurt me.

Esme stiffened up slightly, and then squeezed my shoulder. "You don't have to worry about that. You know you don't, honey."

"I can't help it." I whispered, my eyes filling up with tears. "I love him so much, Esme, I do. But there is this little part of me that is so scared, even though the rest of me knows that there is nothing to be scared of." Esme nodded, taking my hand in hers.

"It's okay." She murmured, soothing me. "Don't you remember when you were little, and even then you and Edward were inseparable? Your father and Carlisle used to joke that you would end up married…your mother and I would always just laugh at them…but here you are, about to be my daughter in law when I've always thought of you as my daughter anyway." I smiled at her sweet words, remembering.

"When we were, like…seven or nine, Edward and I would always go out into your backyard and look up at the sky at the stars…and he would always take me up to the treehouse, saying he could beat me up because he was bigger." My smile faded slightly, and I wiped at my eyes. "He never did, of course."

Esme nodded serenely, continuing to hold my hand comfortingly in hers. "I remember when you dared Edward to kiss you, and when he tried, you ran away from him." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "You two kids were so funny." She trailed off, her eyes piercing into mine. "I remember when Edward finally realized how special you really were." Esme said, her voice dropping to a whisper.

My eyes widened slightly, but I remained silent so that Esme would continue.

"You weren't a little girl anymore, and Edward saw that. And I think in some ways, you grew up a lot faster than he did." Esme straightened my veil again, not looking at me anymore. "And that's when you both started drifting apart." She whispered, and I stiffened up. "Carlisle and Charlie always joked about you getting married." She repeated, shaking her head and finally meeting my eyes again. "I don't think any of us ever believed you'd really fall in love. But I'm so glad you did."

"It was almost too late." I remarked. "I was so lucky Edward took care of me when I needed him. I remember when we would play in creek beds and ride in that old truck he drove…and I remember when we had our first fight. I remember not knowing what to do, because Edward was my best friend. That was the night he slept in his truck at my house because he refused to leave until I let him apologize." I ducked my head, sniffling slightly at all the memories I held.

These were happy memories, and these were happy tears.

Esme laughed, shaking her head. "I remember…I grounded him when he finally came home. He said it was worth it."

"And then…after all that time, we got our friendship back. And more." I said, and my smile was one of true happiness. "It was hard at first, when we got together." I revealed. "Stressful. Hectic. Moving back to Forks was really the best thing for us. We both missed you all, and missed where we came from." I said, finally looking away from the mirror.

"I'm glad you did." Esme said. "I don't know, but I think your hometown will always have a special place in your heart, especially one as small as Forks."

"He proposed to me where we used to play when we were little." I said with a smile. "And now…the whole town is here for our wedding."

Esme nodded yet again, looking at her watch discreetly. "Yes, they are. Because they all know and love the two of you."

Just then, Alice poked her head back into the room. "Is everything okay?" She asked, biting her lip worriedly and looking from her mother to me with a concerned look on her angelic face.

"It's fine. You can tell them I'm ready." I said, squaring my shoulders. I took Esme's hand again as Alice left, looking my future mother in law in the eye. "Thank you, Esme, for being here when my own parents can't be here with me." I whispered, and Esme hugged me tightly. "I love you like you're my own mother already."

"It's not a problem, Bella. I love you as one of my own." Esme said. "Your parents would be so proud of you, Bella. They loved you so much."

I blinked back more tears, and then there was a knock at the door. Carlisle walked in, a smile on his face. "He's waiting for you, Bella." Carlisle said simply, and that was all it took for my tears to stop. Esme kissed my cheek and wiped my eyes, commenting that it was a good thing my mascara was waterproof, before leaving the room to go take her seat at the front of the church.

Carlisle looked down at me for a moment as I fussed with my veil, flipping it forward to cover my face. "You look beautiful, Bella." Carlisle said, offering me his arm. "I'm glad you and Edward got things sorted out."

"Thank you." I said, a light blush coming to my cheeks. "And I'm glad too. You and Esme and Edward and Alice took care of me when I had no one else, especially after my parents…died." I said, hoping that I wouldn't start crying again. We stood behind the doors leading into the sanctuary, and Alice was waiting there as well. She marveled over me for a moment, but when the music started up suddenly she took her cue to walk into the church and down the aisle.

I waited with Carlisle for our cue, clutching tightly to his arm. "Your dad was my best friend, Bella, and one of the best people I've ever known. I'm proud to be walking you down in the aisle in his place." Carlisle said, and I instantly gave him a big hug, reaching under my veil and wiping at my eyes again. "Alright, that's us." He said, and that was it.

Despite my anxiety and nerves, it felt so impeccably right in that moment, I knew this was what I was waiting for. Faces turned to look at me- faces I had known for most of my life. As Carlisle and I walked forward I saw some of Edward and I's teachers from our school days, our friends from school, people in town that we knew through default, as well as all the other people we had met along the way. I could see Esme already crying in the front row, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. And when I met Edward's eyes, finally, all I could see was him. And the rest of the wedding was a blur of love and happiness and unity.

I said I do and he did too.

…

"Take me home." I whispered in my husband's ear, holding him close as we swayed back and forth to the slow music filtering through the speakers. We were in our little bubble, even though we were surrounded by people.

Edward sighed, kissing my forehead. "Not yet…I'm not ready to let you go quite yet." He said, drawing me even closer so that he could prove his point. "After all this time, you and I…" He squeezed me again, and kissed my neck gently. "We're together." Edward finished simply, and I just held on to him in agreement.

…

**Again, I owe a big thank you to those of you who are stuck around and are reading this. So thank you for everything, and be sure to check out my other stories!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


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